The Interna Tional Journal of Film & Digit Al Production
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11_09_CVR_REV2.qxd:00-00_CVR.qxd 10/8/092:42PMPage1 L. 90 NO. 11 NO. 90 VO L. • NOMINEES EMMY ANTICHRIST, UNITED, DAMNED THE BOX, THE ARE, THINGS WILD THE •WHERE 2009 NOVEMBER • CINEMATOGRAPHER AMERICAN THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FILM & DIGITAL PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES • SINCE 1920 $5.95 Canada $6.95 2009 NOVEMBER 11_09 prod slate:00 production slate 10/5/09 11:17 AM Page 26 In the widescreen feature Cairo Time, a Canadian woman (Patricia Clarkson) visits Egypt for the first time and becomes increasingly fascinated by its culture — and one Egyptian in particular. Top: “This was our ‘love scene,’ so the light had to evoke the passion present between Juliette (Clarkson) and Tareq (Alexander Siddig),” says cinematographer Luc Montpellier, CSC. Bottom: For Egypt’s Allure two by placing a Canadian woman, Juli- naturally. I was drawn to Cairo Time a scene in by David Heuring ette (Patricia Clarkson), in a foreign land. because of the character arc and the which Juliette As she waits for her husband to arrive, opportunities for the cinematography to visits Tareq at a “men only” café, Luc Montpellier, CSC grew up in she strives to contain her growing inter- underscore those changes. There are no the filmmakers a small town in Ontario, studied film at est in the foreign culture so she can special effects, and because the surrounded Ryerson University in Toronto, and experience it with him. But her thirst for photography must be honest and ring Clarkson with cool colors to began his career shooting music videos. experience draws her into the chaotic true, the cinematography almost set her apart In the mid-1990s, he moved into narra- and mysterious world of Cairo, and becomes more important than it would from the tive filmmaking, and has since compiled some basic truths about her life are be in another kind of picture.” environment. credits that include Away From Her, revealed as a result of the cultural dislo- In spite of Cairo’s scenic beauty, Emotional Arithmetic and The Saddest cation. the filmmakers wanted to avoid a Music in the World (AC Aug. ’04). “The cinematographer’s respon- picture-postcard look. Locations were Cairo Time is Montpellier’s third sibility is to translate abstract ideas into chosen partly based on Juliette’s state collaboration with director Ruba Nadda, reality,” says Montpellier. “Once I of mind at particular moments in the following Sabah and Aadan. The new submit myself to a concept, the techni- story. Montpellier endeavored to create film reverses the pattern of the previous cal means of how to achieve it comes images that would evoke the appropri- photos courtesy of courtesy photos Montpellier. Foundry Films and Luc Cairo Time Time Cairo 26 November 2009 11_09 prod slate:00 production slate 10/5/09 11:17 AM Page 28 Top to bottom: ate feelings in the viewer even if the A conversation picture had no sound; he says this goal between Juliette and made light and its connection to the Tareq is set emotional drama extremely important. against the The filmmakers also believed the Great Pyramid of Giza to script and the chaotic backdrop of Cairo underscore a called for the counterpoint of a more feeling of controlled, classical approach to framing solitude; Montpellier and camera movement. They decided to (left) and 1st AC avoid a documentary aesthetic, and that Andy Jekabsons choice had many ramifications for the capture the scene; rest of the shoot. “Because we were preparing the shooting on location in a chaotic city of final shot of 20 million, without the resources we’d the film, Montpellier have at hand in Toronto or Los Angeles, waits for the our challenge was to create order out of right light on the chaos,” says Montpellier. “We faced a pyramids; Montpellier, paradox. We had to be at the right Jekabsons and places, rolling at the right times, control- Egyptian ling the uncontrollable.” key/dolly grip Ehab Atiya line The color palette was detailed up the final and precise. Cairo is represented by dolly shot of the the warm earth tones that dominate picture. the urban landscape there. At the beginning of the film, Juliette is dressed in and surrounded by cooler, more modern tones, and she slowly progresses to warmer, more golden tones as she begins to explore and engage with the ancient city. On loca- tion during prep, Montpellier did exten- sive testing for wardrobe, makeup, filtration and skin tones, and to gauge the local light patterns, using a Canon 5D camera and film-stock-emulation software. “Throughout the shoot, it was a challenge to balance interiors and exteriors because of the extremely bright African sun, and I wanted to see how far I could push the film stock and still maintain detail outside windows,” he says. “I wanted to avoid blinding the actors by bringing up interior levels. However, there are many scenes where the characters go from inside to outside on a balcony, and that meant I couldn’t ND the windows. It was important for me to know how far I could go with inte- rior levels.” Nadda and Montpellier chose to shoot widescreen (Super 35mm) to inte- grate the performers with the environ- ment, to isolate single characters in the frame when emotionally appropriate, and sometimes to create the simple 28 November 2009 11_09 prod slate:00 production slate 10/5/09 11:17 AM Page 30 Filming classicism of a still photograph. “We widescreen enabled made an effort to frame Juliette within Montpellier to static shots as she first ventures out into isolate the city,” says Montpellier. “As she characters within the frame begins to explore and feel more comfort- for dramatic able, the use of the Steadicam becomes effect. In this more prevalent. We hope that helps the scene, Juliette’s husband (Tom audience share in her emotional state.” McCamus) The cinematographer used Tiffen arrives Soft/FX filters throughout to subtly flare unexpectedly and puts an end the whites, varying the strength accord- to her potential ing to the situation and the focal length love affair. of the lens. He chose two Moviecam Middle: As Andris Matiss Compact MKIIs, Cooke S4 primes lenses mans the and a 12:1 Angenieux Optimo zoom; all Steadicam for a gear came from Panavision Toronto, walk-and-talk, the crew uses ¼ “whose support was crucial to our grid diffusion to success,” he says. soften the harsh sunlight. Bottom: Tareq takes Juliette on a tour of Cairo. “Getting a crane on the bridge was a challenge, considering that we were unable to ban traffic,” notes Montpellier. 30 November 2009 11_09 prod slate:00 production slate 10/5/09 11:17 AM Page 31 Montpellier used Kodak Vision2 adaptive engineering. Cranes and ies and some 575-watt Pars to get light 250D 5205 for most daylight situations. dollies were often customized. The lack inside the car,” recalls the cinematogra- “5205 enabled me to shoot from early of legitimate rental houses meant that pher. “Again, our concern was to morning all the way to magic hour with- equipment was located and rented balance the interiors and the exteriors. out compromising grain; I changed ND through an informal network of We’d be dragging a car behind a pickup filtration as the day went on to maintain crewmembers. truck with all our lamps strapped to it a consistent look.” He used a slower Shots of cars moving through the with about 50 ratchet straps. We would stock, Kodak Vision2 50D 5201, for a legendary Cairo traffic were perhaps the have handlers and grips hanging off the day’s shooting in the White Desert, a most difficult to achieve, according to truck and waving for people to clear the barren location several hours outside Montpellier. Standard towing rigs and way. If they didn’t move, our people Cairo. In the scene, Juliette listens to a process trailers don’t exist there. “We would jump off the truck and try to move friend confess her infidelity while she made a rig with three or four car batter- them physically. We would also have a herself secretly considers cheating on her absent husband. “We chose the location to help create the right emotional impact,” says Montpellier. “The uncertainty and feeling of losing one’s points of reference were evoked by the landscape. When we first arrived, I couldn’t open my eyes without wearing sunglasses. There are chalky white and cream-colored rock formations as far as the eye can see, with the sun beating down. It’s an extremely low-contrast situation. Shooting the 50-speed stock allowed me to get the right levels with few hassles. I needed every bit of lati- tude I could get, and 5201 gave me that while capturing the subtle gradations of white and cream. “We used the 12:1 Optimo with a doubler to accentuate the layers of eroded rock formations, creating other- worldly shapes,” he adds. “You’d almost think you’re in Antarctica, but instead you’re in the desert! There’s a surreal quality to it.” In Cairo, the filmmakers worked hard to compensate for a lack of stan- dard materials. There were no blimped generators, and there were shortages of flags and scrims. The locals gathered large sheets of Styrofoam and painted them black, and a pitchfork-like metal tool would then be stabbed into the edge of the Styrofoam at the desired angle and mounted on a C-stand. Mont- pellier says the technique worked so well that he used it on subsequent shoots. As a substitute for scrims, the crew purchased a variety of fishnet stockings that would knock down the light by a half of a stop or more.