DECEMBER2012$5.95 Canada $6.95For your consideration in all categories includingBESTPI CTUREBESTCI NEMATOGRAPHYROBERTYEOMAN, A. S. C.MADEWI THEXTRAORDI NARY DETAI L, CAREANDLOVE.Wes Anderson makes personal lms that dont look, move or feel like anyone elses. He draws you into his fantastical worlds with beauty and humor, and their artice only deepens the storys emotional power. Cinematographer Robert Yeoman softens the colors and gives them the slight tint of a faded Polaroid photograph.Manohla Dagis, The New Yok TimesWriten by Wes Anderson & Roman CoppolaDiected by Wes AndersonFor more on the artistry and acclaim on this lm go to www.FocusAwards2012.comTPI CTUREBES BES TCI NEMA TPI CTUREBESFor your consideration in OBER R OGRAPHYT TCI NEMA categories inc all For your consideration in , A. S. C. EOMAN Y T OBER categories including, A. S. C.FOR MORE ON THE ARTISTRY AND ACCLAIM ON THIS FILM GO TO WWW.FOCUSAWARDS2012.COMThe International Journal of Motion Imaging34 MI6 Under SiegeRoger Deakins, ASC, BSC lends elegance to the action inSkyfall, the 23rd James Bond adventure50 Ravishing RomanceSeamus McGarvey, ASC, BSC brings a novel approach toAnna Karenina66 Freedom FighterJanusz Kaminski captures a U.S. presidents defining momentin Lincoln78 An A-Plus EventPlus Camerimage celebrates its 20th anniversaryDEPARTMENTSFEATURES VISIT WWW.THEASC.COM TO ENJOY THESE WEB EXCLUSIVES Podcast: Claudio Miranda, ASC on Life of PiDVD Playback: Sunday Bloody Sunday End of the Road Terror TrainOn Our Cover: James Bond (Daniel Craig) finds himself pushed to his limits by a villainwith a very personal grudge in Skyfall, shot by Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC. (Photo byFranois Duhamel, SMPSP, courtesy of Sony Pictures.)8 Editors Note10 Presidents Desk12 Short Takes: Swimmer18 Production Slate: Rust and Bone Its a SpongeBob Christmas!90 New Products & Services98 International Marketplace95 Classified Ads100 Ad Index101 2012 AC Index106 In Memoriam: Harris Savides, ASC108 ASC Membership Roster110 Clubhouse News112 ASC Close-Up: Jerzy Zielinski, ASC, PSCD E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2 V O L . 9 3 N O . 1 2506678D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 V o l . 9 3 , N o . 1 2T h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l J o u r n a l o f M o t i o n I m a g i n gVisit us online atwww.theasc.com PUBLISHER Martha WinterhalterEDITORIALEXECUTIVE EDITOR Stephen PizzelloSENIOR EDITOR Rachael K. BosleyASSOCIATE EDITOR Jon D. WitmerTECHNICAL EDITOR Christopher ProbstCONTRIBUTING WRITERSBenjamin B, Douglas Bankston, Robert S. Birchard, John Calhoun, Michael Goldman, Simon Gray, Jim Hemphill, David Heuring, Jay Holben, Mark Hope-Jones, Noah Kadner, Jean Oppenheimer, Jon Silberg, Iain Stasukevich, Kenneth Sweeney, Patricia ThomsonART DEPARTMENTCREATIVE DIRECTOR Marion GoreADVERTISINGADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Angie Gollmann323-936-3769FAX 323-936-9188e-mail: gollmann@pacbell.netADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Sanja Pearce323-952-2114FAX 323-876-4973e-mail: sanja@ascmag.comADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Scott Burnell323-936-0672FAX 323-936-9188e-mail: sburnell@earthlink.netCLASSIFIEDS/ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Diella Nepomuceno323-952-2124FAX 323-876-4973e-mail: diella@ascmag.com CIRCULATION, BOOKS & PRODUCTSCIRCULATION DIRECTOR Saul MolinaCIRCULATION MANAGER Alex LopezSHIPPING MANAGER Miguel MadrigalASC GENERAL MANAGER Brett GraumanASC EVENTS COORDINATOR Patricia ArmacostASC PRESIDENTS ASSISTANT Delphine FiguerasASC ACCOUNTING MANAGER Mila BaselyASC ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE Corey ClarkAmerican Cinematographer (ISSN 0002-7928), established 1920 and in its 92nd year of publication, is publishedmonthly in Hollywood by ASC Holding Corp., 1782 N. Orange Dr., Hollywood, CA 90028, U.S.A., (800) 448-0145, (323) 969-4333, Fax (323) 876-4973, direct line for subscription inquiries (323) 969-4344.Subscriptions: U.S. $50; Canada/Mexico $70; all other foreign countries $95 a year (remit international Money Order or other exchange payable in U.S. $). Advertising: Rate card upon request from Hollywoodoffice. Article Reprints: Requests for high-quality article reprints (or electronic reprints) should be made toSheridan Reprints at (800) 635-7181 ext. 8065 or by e-mail hrobinson@tsp.sheridan.com.Copyright 2012 ASC Holding Corp. (All rights reserved.) Periodicals postage paid at Los Angeles, CA and at additional mailing offices. Printed in the USA. POSTMASTER: Send address change to American Cinematographer, P.O. Box 2230, Hollywood, CA 90078.4 For more on the artistry and acclaim on this flm go to www.FocusAwards2012.comANNA KARENINA LOOKS TRULY STUNNING THANKS TO DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY SEAMUS McGARVEY.A BOLD VISION THATS BOTH FASCINATINGLY THEATRICAL AND THRILLINGLY CINEMATIC.OLIVER LYTTELTON, INDIEWIREBEST PICTUREBEST CINEMATOGRAPHYSEAMUS McGARVEY ASC, BSCFOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IN ALL CATEGORIES INCLUDINGOFFICERS - 2012/2013Stephen LighthillPresidentDaryn OkadaVice PresidentRichard CrudoVice PresidentKees Van OostrumVice PresidentVictor J. KemperTreasurerFrederic GoodichSecretarySteven FierbergSergeant At ArmsMEMBERS OF THEBOARDJohn BaileyStephen H. BurumCurtis ClarkRichard CrudoDean CundeyFred ElmesMichael GoiVictor J. KemperFrancis KennyMatthew LeonettiStephen LighthillMichael O'SheaRobert PrimesOwen RoizmanKees Van OostrumALTERNATESRon GarciaJulio MacatKenneth ZunderSteven FierbergKarl Walter LindenlaubMUSEUM CURATORSteve GainerAmerican Society of Cinema tographersThe ASC is not a labor union or a guild, butan educational, cultural and pro fes sion al organization. Membership is by invitation to those who are actively en gaged as di rec tors of photography and have dem on strated out stand ing ability. ASC membership has be come one of the highesthonors that can be bestowed upon a pro fes sional cin e ma tog ra pher a mark of prestige and excellence.6Last year, during an event at the ASC Clubhouse, I corneredmy friend Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC, on the front lawn. So,Roger, I hear youre shooting the new James Bond movie withSamMendes,Ibegancasually.Howsitgoing?Notyetsensing my fanaticism for the 007 franchise, he maintained arelaxedmien.Thingsaremovingalong,hesaid.Lotsoflocations, loads of action to coordinate. Its a big production.Like Scaramanga, I took my golden shot: Well, Ive been aBond fan my entire life, and now my oldest son is obsessed.And we have a simple request: youve gotta make this movieCOOL. If you cant do it, nobody can! Im counting on you,and so is Nicholas. Hes planning to wear a kid-size tux nextHalloween, and his toy briefcase is stuffed with spy gadgets. You cant let us down. Do it forthe Empire! Rogers composure wavered slightly. Well, er, there arent many gadgets in thisone, he said. But I think Sam has a good handle on the material. Well do our best .Hiseyesbegandartingaroundashesearchedforhiswife,James,whoinvariablyrescues him from this type of pickle. Alerted by the tiny homing beacon Roger apparentlyconcealsinhiswristwatch,sheappearedwithinseconds.Dontlethimoffthehook,James, I told her. Remember, this is Bond were talking about! She laughed, and thenassured me her spouse had the situation under control. Trust me, he knows the stakes! Ibacked away, flashing Roger the Im watching you gesture De Niro made famous in Meetthe Fockers. Freed from my lunacy, he finally cracked a smile.Thankfully, Skyfall proves that the Deakins-Mendes pairing was an inspired choice. Acompellingplot,well-executedactionandatrulyentertainingvillain(embodiedwitharchlan by Javier Bardem) make this 007 adventure one of the best yet, and Rogers elegant cine-matographylendsthepictureanabundanceofstyle.OurLondoncorrespondent,MarkHope-Jones, declassifies Rogers strategies in this months cover story (MI6 Under Siege,page 34).This issue also deconstructs the epic sweep of Anna Karenina, shot by Seamus McGar-vey, ASC, BSC (Ravishing Romance, page 50), and Lincoln, shot by Janusz Kaminski (Free-dom Fighter, page 66). While both films are rife with period detail, the former sends thecamera soaring and the latter opts for more classical, tableau-style compositions. Respect for cinematographers and their art form is the raison detre of Plus Camer-image. Held annually in Poland, the event is the worlds premier cinematography festival, andthis years showcase marks the 20th anniversary. We hope our pictorial tribute (An A-PlusEvent, page 78) conveys the convivial atmosphere that always prevails, thanks to the eventstireless organizers.On another front, we offer our hearty congratulations to contributing writer MichaelGoldmanforthepublicationofhisbookClintEastwood:MasterFilmmakeratWork(Abrams).AuthorizedbyEastwood,the240-pagebookcoversall32ofthefilmshehasdirected and is illustrated with unit stills, key art, production-design sketches and film frames.Included are interviews with Eastwood and many of his collaborators, providing an excellentretrospective of a maverick filmmaker whose methods have proven very influential.Stephen PizzelloExecutive EditorEditors NotePhoto by Owen Roizman, ASC.8F ORYOURCONSI DERATI ONBEST CINEMATOGRAPHYJANUSZKAMI NSKILastmonthInotedthattheASCwasapartnerintheoriginalDigitalCinema Initiative, which helped steer the development of theatrical digi-tal projection, and that we continue to be active in the evolution of toolsfor creating digital motion pictures. We have just learned that the Acad-emyofTelevisionArtsandScienceshashonoreduswithaPrimetimeEmmy Engineering Award for our Technology Committees work in creat-ing the ASC Color-Decision List, or ASC-CDL. The TV Academy notes thatthis software enables primary color-correction data to be passed fromtheshootingsettodailiesandeditorialpost,aswellasinterchangedbetweendifferentcolor-correctionsystemsandapplications,andhelpscommunicate scene-specific looks throughout the production and post-production pipeline in an iteratively modifiable fashion that can also formthe basis or starting point for final color grading. The ASC-CDL Subcom-mittee of our Tech Committee created this tool to ensure that the origi-nalintentionsofthecinematographerandhisorhercollaboratorsarecarriedthroughfromsettoscreen.WethankallthemembersofourTechnology Committee for this achievement.Around the corner from us is the Academy of Motion Picture Artsand Sciences, whose Science and Technology Council has been hard atworkdevelopinganothergroundbreakingtool,theAcademyColorEncoding System, or ACES. The TV Academy is also honoring ACES withan Engineering Award, noting, This is a SMPTE standards-based color-managementarchitecturedesignedfortheproduction,masteringandlong-term archiving of motion-picture and television (non-live broadcast)production content. Among other things, the TV Academy continues, ACES provides a set of digital-image-encodingspecifications, transforms and recommended practices that enable the creation and processing of high-fidelity images andoffers a larger dynamic range of scene tones, a wider color gamut and greater mathematical precision than is possiblewith 10-bit Cineon encoding or HDTV standards.In other words, with the ASC-CDL, the sharing of accurate color-correction information between different facilitiesandmachinesispossible,andwithACES,differentfileformatsfromavarietyofcamerascannowshareonetimelinethrough post. The ASC and AMPAS are working to provide a framework that will help everyone in motion-picture produc-tion manage a world of wildly different image languages. As reported in these pages, the ASC and the Producers Guild ofAmerica recently completed the Image-Control Assessment Series with several cameras to see how ACES performs underproduction circumstances. AMPAS, ATAS, the ASC, the PGA and the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, allnonprofit organizations, are bringing studios, manufacturers and cinematographers together to help organize the chaoticworld of digital imaging.We are also happy to note that this month marks the 20th anniversary of Plus Camerimage in Poland. A great cele-bration of all forms of cinematography, including music videos, documentaries and narrative features, the festival is anintense immersion in the art and craft of filmmaking that attracts an array of students, professionals, enthusiasts and equip-ment manufacturers from all over the world. Many ASC members are attending, as always.Stephen LighthillASC PresidentPresidents Desk10 December 2012American Cinematographer Photo by Douglas Kirkland.WWW. SONYCLASSI CSAWARDS. COM f or your consi der at i onR U S T A N D B O N Ea f i l m b y J a c q u e s A u d i a r dbestci nematographySTPHANE FONTAINE,AFCFor all the grit of its milieu and the starkcinematographic contrasts of blindingbrightness and midnight murkiness, this is a movie of the old school. Marion Cotillard's subtle performance is gloriously winning."-Mary Corliss, TlMEThis film is so good, it stands alone.Cinematographically it is an expressionistic essay."-Lrien Haynes, MOvlELlNEAn Olympic SwimmerBy Jean OppenheimerThe Olympics are not only an international sporting event, butalsoanopportunityforthehostcitytoshowoffitsculturaland artisticside.Aspartofthe2012LondonOlympics,andthe ParalympicGamesthatfollowed,fourofGreatBritainsleading filmmakers were asked to each make a short film that reflected theirvisionsofLondonandthegames.ScottishdirectorLynneRamsaywas among the quartet.Ramsay teamed with Argentinean cinematographer NatashaBraier,ADFtomakeSwimmer,amusicallydrivenblack-and-whitetone poem that follows a swimmer as he traverses the waterways ofEngland. The soundtrack consists of snatches of dialogue the swim-mer overhears on shore and a mix of music, including excerpts fromseveral British films (including If and The Loneliness of the LongDistance Runner), Ralph Vaughn Williams Fantasia on a Theme byThomas Tallis, and the 1930s song The Very Thought of You.Thereisnostoryline,affirmsBraier.Itsmoreofanemotionaljourney,akindofabstractinterpretation.Someshotsreflecttheswimmerspoint-of-view,someareobservational,andsome try to convey a state of mind. RamsayandBraierdecidedfilmwastherightformatforSwimmer partly because of the high contrast you get with reflectionsonthewater,partlybecausefilmstillcapturesdetailsintheland-scapebetterthandigital,andpartlybecausewebothlovefilm,continuesthecinematographer.Weoriginallyhadthisromanticidea of shooting on black-and-white stock and playing with filters,but the only black-and-white stock we could get, Eastman [Double-X] 5222, was much grainier than I remembered. We also exploredinfrared. Finally, I suggested we shoot on color stock, Kodak [Vision3200T] 5213 and [500T] 5219, for the finer grain and then desaturatetheimageintheDI.Thatactuallybroughtusclosetothelookofinfrared, because we could isolate each color and change the tonein post.By way of example, Braier points to the clumps of undulatingreeds that blanket a section of the river. When grading the film atTheMovingPictureCo.inLondon,sheandcoloristJean-ClmentShort TakesCinematographer Natasha Braier, ADF captured artful shots of Olympic swimmer Tom Litten for director Lynne Ramsaysblack-and-white short film Swimmer.I12 December 2012American Cinematographer Photos by Jack English and Natasha Braier. Images courtesy of the filmmakers.Soretisolatedthegreenish-yellowofthereedsandmadethemwhiter.Theythenisolatedtheblueskyandmadeitdarker,which,againstthewhitereeds,producedaninfraredeffect.(Noinfraredfilterswereused during the shoot.)Framingforafinalaspectratioof1.85:1, Braier shot the 13-minute movie in3-perfSuper35mmusinganArri435,CookeS4primes,uncoatedZeissSuperSpeedprimesandanAngenieuxOptimo17-80mmzoom.Sheselectedthe435becausesomescenesoftheswimmer(OlympianTomLitten)weretobeshotat150 fps. An Arri 35-3 was used for under-water footage that was shot in two watertanks, one at Pinewood Studios and one ata smaller studio in Basildon.Swimmer involved location work atthree sites: a river in Devon, a tributary filledwith reeds and a nearby reservoir. The shoot14 December 2012American Cinematographer The swimmerslowly sinksafter beingstruck by anarrow. This shotwas made in astudio watertank at BasildonStudios. [Setdesigner] JaneMorton did anamazing jobbuilding a set inthat tank,putting in plantsand dead treesto make it looklike the river,remarks Braier.I backlit Tomwith twoMolebeams andused an HMIbounce for the fill. 2012 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS universalpicturesawards.comF O R Y O U R C O N S I D E R A T I O NBest CinematographyDanny Cohen BSCwas initially scheduled for summer 2011 butwaspushedtoOctober,andbythattime,thewaterwassocoldthatLittencouldremainsubmergedforonlyafewminutesat a time, and had to rest for two or threehoursbetweenswims.Thismeanthewasrestricted to a mere six or seven minutes inthewaterallday.Duringthattime,Braierhadtogetthreeshotsofhimswimmingsurroundedbycountryside.Thesewerefilmed at the reservoir, and the camera wasmounted on a Libra head on a GF-16 cranethat was moved along a 280' track on theshore.Littenswamthesameroutethreetimes, and Braier captured it from the front,thesideandtherearusingtheOptimozoom.Byarmingoutthecrane,thefilm-makers could get directly above Litten andfilm extreme close-ups as he turned his faceto take a breath.Braierspentadaywalkingaroundthereservoiruntilshefoundtheperfectstretch of flat ground that would accommo-date the crane and was long enough to filmthe three shots at 150 fps. We wanted tocaptureallthesubtletiesofTomsmove-ments,likethemusclemovementsyoucannot see with the naked eye. By shootinghighspeed,youcanseethebodybetter.Youcanalsoseethewaterdropsflyinginthe air.All of the shots depended entirely onavailablelight,sothefilmmakerschoseanareathatfacedsouth,enablingthemtowork with backlight all day. Braier explains,When we wanted to be slightly in front ofTom,weshotintheafternoon.Whenwewanted his profile, we shot at midday withthe camera facing directly south. When wewantedtobebehindhim,weshotinthemorning. [Keygrip]DavidCadwalladerhadtopushthecranedownthetrackatthesame speed as Tom was swimming, and anOlympicswimmerswimsveryfast!shecontinues.Becausewewereshootingathigh speed, I could shoot at f8 or f5.6 andnot need NDs.Everything went smoothly. Even theEnglishweathercooperated,remainingsunnythroughouttheday.Thatdaywascertainly the most technically challenging,says Braier. Scenes that feature reeds were shotin the tributary, with Braier on a motorizedraft.Weriggedthecamerausingabungee cord so it was sitting almost on topof the water, she recalls. The water wastotally calm, fortunately!TheriverinDevonwasusedforseveralshortsequencesthattakeplaceonshore.Oneshowsagroupofchildrencarryingbowsandarrowswhojumpintothewaterandattacktheswimmerwiththeirweapons.Theirentryintothewaterwasshotinastudiowatertank,withthecamera on a tripod on the tank floor, look-ingupatthekids.Braierisaprofessionaldiver,butPinewoodrequiresacommercialdiverslicenseforunderwatershooting,soshe brought in camera operator Mark Silk,who brought his own housing for the Arri35-3.To light the scene, Braier positionedthree10KMolebeamsandtwo6KParsoutsidethetank.Molesaremyfavoritelights for underwater work because theyrequitesharpandtheclosest[match]tothesun,sheobserves.Ikeptthekidsprettydark,almostinsilhouette,withjustalittlebitofinformation.Ithoughtthatmadeitmoreinterestingandevenfrightening.Iadded a bit of fill, but not much.Afterbeingstruckbyanarrow,theswimmer slowly sinks. [Set designer] JaneMorton did an amazing job building a set inthat tank, putting in plants and dead treestomakeitlookliketheriver,remarksBraier. I backlit Tom with two Molebeamsand used an HMI bounce for fill.Thefirstshotoftheswimmerisadeep underwater shot, which was filmed atPinewood.Theswimmerstartsasasmalldot in the distance and then swims towardthecamera,propellinghimselfwithabutterflykick.Thetankwas20meterslong,andweusedthe18mmprimetomake Tom look farther away than he actu-ally was, says Braier. To create a corridor oflight for him to swim through, Braier riggedseveral10KMolebeamsgoingthroughframesofHampshireFrostdirectlyabovethe tank. TheareaaroundthePinewoodwatertankislargeenoughtoaccommo-date a 30' Technocrane, and the filmmakersusedonetocapturesomeshotsofLitten,positioning the camera directly above him.BraiersayshercrewonSwimmer Cadwallader, gaffer Bernie Printace and1st AC Eloi Sanchez Moli was top-notch.Daveworkedon2001,shenotes.Swimmer was the first time I worked withhim,butsincethen,Ihaveusedhimonevery job Ive done.16 December 2012American Cinematographer Ramsay (left) and Braier confer on location in Devon.18 December 2012American Cinematographer A Rough Road to RomanceBy Benjamin BRust and Bone, the third feature-film collaboration betweendirector Jacques Audiard and cinematographer Stphane Fontaine,AFC, is a modern fable about a love affair between two lost souls. Ali(Matthias Schoenaerts) is a struggling single father who ekes out alivingasastreetfighter.Stephanie(MarionCotillard)isamarine-animal trainer who loses both of her legs in a work accident. Slowly,Ali helps Stephanie emerge from her darkness, and she, in turn, helpshim overcome his self-imposed isolation.AC recently met with Fontaine in Paris to discuss his work onthe picture.AmericanCinematographer:Howwouldyoudescribewhat this film is about?StphaneFontaine,AFC: Simplyput,itsbeautyandthebeast, but with a fallen princess and a beast who doesnt realize heis one. Its a kind of melodrama, a love story that begins where othersmight end. They meet, they sleep together and then, their storyhas to develop.What did you and Audiard discuss for the look of thefilm?Fontaine: Wewantedafilmofcontrasts,notnecessarilycontrast inside a scene, but contrast in the relationship between twoscenes. The cinematography is not subtle. When the image is dark,itsreallydark,andthescenethatfollowsisverybright,dazzling.Also,thereisasortofconstantmovement.AliandStephanieareboth falling apart and rebuilding themselves, and the image accom-panies that movement. The film goes in all directions. The approachwas a kind of naturalism, but an assertive naturalism, with imagesthatareverydeliberatelypronounced.Andwedidntattempttosmooth out transitions or accidents. This is your first digital feature, and the first for Audi-ard. Why did you choose digital, and what made you selectthe Red Epic?Fontaine: I think the choice of digital came out of curiosity.Also, we had to digitally erase Marions legs in post for many scenes,and it seemed like a good idea to simplify the workflow by shoot-ingdigital.Ishotalotoftests;wecomparedtheEpic,the[Arri]Alexa, the Canon [EOS] 5D and 7D, and Kodak [Vision3 500T] 5219and [200T] 5213. I was really happy with the Epic. Theres a lot tosay about the Epic vs. the Alexa. I feel that there is more detail withthe Epic, sometimes too much, and the bokehs are much rounder.Also, the Epic is very light and compact. I didnt want to shoot hand-held with the weight and bulk of an Alexa and a Codex [recorder].In addition, the Epic gave us the ability to quickly go from 24 fps to300 fps with the same camera body; that was a big advantage. Wecapturedin5K,croppinga2.40:1windowoutofthe1.90:1 frame. We tested different compressions at 5K, and my eyewasnt able to see a difference between 3:1 and 5:1, but we startedto feel a bit of a difference at 6:1. So we shot 5K with 5:1 compres-sion except for the 300-fps shots, which are 2K with 6:1 compres-sion. They have an interesting texture. I have to add that some image flaws dont bother me. In fact,inthecontextofthisfilm,theyweredesirable.Aflawlessimagewould have been un-breathable.Production SlateRust and Bone photos by Roger Arpajou, courtesy of Why Not Productions and Sony Pictures Classics.Ali (MatthiasSchoenaerts)helps Stephanie(MarionCotillard) out of the ocean in a scene fromRust and Bone.I20 December 2012 American Cinematographer Therearemanymomentswithreduced depth-of-field, like the shots ofStephanie in her hospital bed.Fontaine: Thatsachoiceofmise-en-scne that was reinforced by shooting intheEpics5Kmode.Inthatmode,thesensor is much larger than 35mm. A 40mmlens with the Epic [in 5K mode] is about thesame as a 35mm lens in Super 35.How did you rate the camera?Fontaine:IsetitatISO800andworked with my light meter as I would withfilm.Thatway,Icouldshootveryquickly.Whenyoureworkingonastageandyouhavetime,youcanconsultthewaveformmonitorandhaveavideovillageofcali-brated monitors, but when youre on a setwith a handheld camera and shooting with-outarehearsal,whichoftenhappenswithJacques,youtakeaquickreadingandyougo!Whatimagedidyoumonitoronthe set?Fontaine: We used the Red Gamma2 display LUT for the monitor image. It hasreinforcedblacks,butitsstillprettylow-contrast.Youdidntusepre-establishedLUTs?Fontaine: No. I think wanting to seethe finished film on set is absurd, as if thefilmwerealreadylockedin.Idontknowwhat the film will look like when Im shoot-ing. I have some clues and desires, but I alsowant to be able to be surprised. For me, itsanadvantagetohaveanuninterestingimage on the monitor on the set. I feel likeImlookingatvideoassist.Idontunder-stand why, suddenly, people now expect tosee the finished image on the set. IhaveshotcommercialswiththeAlexainProRes.Youturnonthemonitor,andeveryoneshappy.YoufeellikeyourewatchingTV.Thereisakindofeasetoit;thereisalreadyaresultthatissatisfactory.That worries me. I think the Epic is a camerathatsmoreorientedtowardpostproduc-tion. Of course, each film is a different case.YoucanalsoshootwithAlexainArriRawwith a digital-imaging technician.Howdidyouapproachalltheday exteriors in this movie?Fontaine: My intervention was mini-mal.Imostlyusedreflectorsofdifferentsizes[largeframesorhandheld].Thegeneral idea was to avoid taking up a lot ofspace with my installations so as to give thedirector and the actors the greatest latitudepossible. There must be a harmony betweenthetoolsyouuseandthedirector.Theweatherwassometimesfrustrating;weoftenhadtoovercomethelackofsun.InRight: Stephaniereturns to herformerworkplace tovisit a colleague.Below: Ali triesto forge alivelihood as astreet fighter. 2012 Sony Electronics Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Features and specications are subject to change without notice. Sony, CineAlta, and the make.believe logo are trademarks of Sony. HD, 2K, 4K and beyond. With Sony 4K, your future is bright. Even if youre distributing in HD, Sony 4K gives you beautiful, super-sampled pictures with higher contrast and greater sharpness. The F55 camera upgrades your imagery with true color, on-board 4K recording and electronic global shutter, while the F5 offers a 4K sensor and super-sampled HD recording. They join the 8K-sensor F65, not to mention a full spectrum of Sony 4K tools to create the ultimate in immersive viewing. Experience incredible Sony 4K recorders, monitors, digital cinema projectors, a nonlinear editor, a home theater projector and even a home television. Sony 4K: delivering tomorrows performance, today. sony.com/35mm PMW-F5PMW-F55the futureahead of schedule22 December 2012 American Cinematographer theapartmentwhereAlilives,Ihad18KArriMaxes on a crane to light [through thewindowon]oneside,and12Kstoillumi-nate the roof you see through the windowon the other side. We also often used smallunits, like 1K Pars, to create sunlight in darkinteriors. Wereyouabletoscheduletheshooting times in day exteriors? Fontaine: Itsarareluxurytosay,We have to shoot right now. This requiresan agreement with the director, actors andproducersnosmallfeat.Therealwayscomes a time when the interest of the cine-matographerisnotconsistentwiththeproductionrequirements.Wedidgettoshootonesceneonthebeachatmagichour,justaftersunset,withtwocameras,which I requested so we could go faster. Wealso felt that it was good to be a little chaoticattimes.WhenAliappliesforajob,forexample,westartwithstrongsunlightontheboss,andtwoshotslater,thesunisgone. Sometimes bad continuity creates aninteresting dynamic. Every movie has its ownrules.Themorningsceneontheseasidepromenade,whenStephanieasks Ali to be sensitive to her feelings, isvery simple and strong.Fontaine: Its a real morning with alittlemist.Wedidntusemuch,justtwoVistaBeam 600s to soften the contrast.How did you shoot inside the vanduring the street fighting?Fontaine: Onthecarceiling,therewasafluorescenttubewithalotofdiffu-sion.Thesideandrearwindowshadaspecial tinted coating that I selected duringprep.AndImluckytohavegoodcameraassistants who can change the stop withoutit showing!What about the night exteriors?Fontaine: Jacques and I have done alot of warm nights in our previous films, butforthismovie,Iwantedanightthatwaswhite and cool, but not electric blue. I prefercyan. In the nightclub parking lot, my gaffer,Xavier Cholet, replaced the streetlamp withthreeorfour1.2KCineparsbalancedat4,000K. And when Ali drops Stephanie offatherhome,allthestreetlampswerechanged to mercury vapor.Althoughthefilmisrealistic,therearepoeticmoments,likewhenStephanieswimsinaseafilledwithsparks of light.Fontaine: Ilovethatshot.Itverygracefully shows what she feels. It looks likethe shot in Death in Venice where the boy isatthewatersedge.PatrickLeplatfromPanavisionexplainedtomethatthishigh-light dancing on the sea is not a flare, but asmear. At some point, flaws and qualitiescome together! HowdidyouapproachthescenesforwhichMarionslegswouldbe digitally erased in post?Fontaine: OurvisualeffectsweredonebyMikrosImage,anditwasgreatbecausetheyleftustotallyfree.Marionsimplyworegreenstockings.Afewyearsago, we would have been forced to do twopasses or use motion-control, which wouldhavelengthenedproductiontimeandboredtheactorsanddirectoritslikewatching paint dry. Tell us about the DI.Fontaine: Asusual,Iworkedwith[colorist] Isabelle Julien at Digimage. The DIwas very simple. I showed her some of myintentionsbygivingherframegrabsthatIhad reworked in Lightroom. I wasnt tellingher,Dothis,butratherjustbeginningadialogue. It is essential that a colorist be abletoappropriatethefilmandevensurpriseyou.You prepared these images afterthe shoot?Fontaine: Yes.Iuseda15-inchMacBookPro.Digimagecalibratedmyscreen with a probe and created a profile formyLCDscreenthatwascloseenough[totheirs],nottoofarincontrastandcolor.Itwas quite satisfactory and simple.You finished the film at 4K reso-lution.Whydidyouproject2KatCannes?Fontaine:The4Kimagewastoodefined,toodigital,toohard;thereweretoo many things in it. The 2K seemed truer.HowwouldyoudescribeAudi-ards method on set?Fontaine: He wants each take to bereally different from the previous one. Its assimple as that. When we cut, he says, Shallwedosomethingelse?Imightproposesomething,orhemightaskmeforsome-thingdifferentintermsoffocallengthorangle.Wemoveveryfast.Theremaybemany shots, but there are few takes of eachshot.Ontheset,itsimportanttoJacquesthatnothingiseverfrozen,thathecanchangeanyparameteratanytime.Evenwhenthecameraisstatic,asitoftenisinRust and Bone, the filming has to be alive.Its got to breathe, even through its flaws.This article is adapted from one thatappeared in the June 2012 AFC Newsletter.TECHNICAL SPECS 2.40:1Digital CaptureRed EpicCooke S4, Angenieux Optimo Director JacquesAudiard looks on ascinematographerStphaneFontaine, AFCcaptures theaction.Mini S4s18, 25, 32, 50, 75, 100, 135mm T2.8The Cooke LookCookeOpticsLimitedBritish Optical Innovation and Quality Since 1893.T: +44 (0)116 264 0700Canada, South America, USA: T: +1-973-335-4460cookeoptics.comA Handcrafted Holiday SpecialBy Jon D. WitmerIts a hot day in early August whenAC arrives at snow-speckled Bikini Bottom,constructedtoscaleinsidethelowerlevelof stop-motion-animation company ScreenNovelties in Los Angeles. From the pelagicpineappleofSpongeBobSquarePantstothe aquatic arbor of his good friend SandyCheeks,thesubmergedcitywasbuiltbytheScreenNoveltiesteamwhichincludesfoundersSeamusWalsh,MarkCaballeroandChrisFinneganforItsaSpongeBobChristmas!,whichbeginsairing this month on Nickelodeon.Co-directorsWalshandCaballerocalled on cinematographer Ralph Kaechele,a regular collaborator, to shoot the special.AnativeofGermany,Kaechelebeganhiscareer as a camera assistant and operator,andstudiedcinematographyattheDort-mundUniversityofAppliedSciencesandArts,theAcademyofMediaArtsinCologne,andtheAmericanFilmInstitute.AfteratouroftheBikiniBottomsets,Kaechele sat down with AC to discuss theSpongeBob shoot.AmericanCinematographer:How did you come to collaborate withthe Screen Novelties team?RalphKaechele: Aboutsixyearsago, I got to know Chris, Mark and Seamusthrough a friend Id shot a short film for. Ihadnt done any stop motion, but they likedmy reel, especially my lighting, so we did afour-week shoot for a one-minute commer-cial. I had to learn on the job how I couldapplymylightingideasinaminiatureworld, but I also discovered so many thingsthat arent possible in live action, like longexposures or even changing lenses within ashot.Thecommercialwonanaward,andweve been working together ever since.HowwouldyoudescribetheScreen Novelties style?Kaechele:Ittakesalotofinspira-tion from Rankin/Bass [the company behindstop-motionclassicsRudolphtheRed-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus is Cominto Town]. Its a little bit lo-fi; its not a super-glossy or over-controlled look. They inject acharmthatcomesfrommakingthingsimperfect.Forme,themostimportantthingistheyrealwaystryingtodoevery-thing in-camera. Theres so much attentionto detail. You spend a lot of time thinkingabout each frame. Handcrafted textures arevery important, which is really cool for thelighting the more textures you have, themore you see the light.Thepuppetsweredigitallysculptedandthencoveredinvariousfabricmaterialstoensurethathand-madetexture.Howdidtheyrespondto light? Kaechele: Itsallabouttheangleandquality[ofthelight].Usually,thekeylights were really soft, and I used strongbacklights to make the puppets pop out ofthespace.Patrick[thestarfish]wasdefi-nitelymyfavoritecharactertolight;nomatter what I lit him with, the texture cameoutreallynicely.Thevillain,Plankton,wastricky. We had him in three different sizes,sofromoneshottothenext,Idhavetoadjust my lighting to the different scale ofthe puppet. In wide shots, we used a reallysmallpuppetsothespacearoundhimwould appear bigger, but for his close-ups,he was about 10 inches tall. We could seedifferent details in the different scales, so Ihad to compensate for that as well.Whatdidyourpreproductionentail? Kaechele: Iwasveryinvolvedinfiguring out the logistics of the shots. KellyMazurowski, the production designer, and Iwere always putting our heads together tomake sure the sets would work for camera.Most of the time, we used modular sets sowe could remove pieces to put the camerainposition.Wealsoplannedthepracticallights that would go into the sets, keepinginmindanimatoraccess.Youcandothemost beautiful lighting, but if the animatorcant reach the puppet, its no good!What kinds of practicals did youincorporate?24 December 2012 American Cinematographer Its a SpongeBob Christmas!images courtesy of Screen Novelties and Nickelodeon.The denizensof BikiniBottom werebrought tostop-motionlife for theholiday specialIts aSpongeBobChristmas!,directed bySeamus Walshand MarkCaballero andshot by RalphKaechele.IsRENT|ADORAMARENTAL.COM|42 W 18 ST 6FL NYC 10011|T 212-627-8487|%*(*5"-$*/&."?A4B4=CBLIGHTS. CAMERAS RENTAL!MORE ACTION.BETTER PRICES.?A>54BB8 >=0; BC8 ;;C8 >= 4@D8 ?