The Interna Tional Journal of Film & Digit Al Production
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AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER • MAY 2009 • WOLVERINE, STATE OF PLAY, GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS PAST, THE SOLOIST, SCI-TECH AWARDS, ASC A ASC AWARDS, SCI-TECH SOLOIST, THE PAST, GIRLFRIENDS OF GHOSTS PLAY, OF STATE WOLVERINE, • 2009 MAY • AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER MAY 2009 WARDS • VOL. 90 NO. 5 90 NO. VOL. • WARDS $5.95 Canada $6.95 THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FILM & DIGITAL PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES • SINCE 1920 PRODUCTION JOURNAL OF FILM & DIGITAL THE INTERNATIONAL Congratulations on your Academy Awards for Dir. Danny Boyle, DoP Anthony Dod Mantle and your team Thank you for using the SI-2K Mini in the challenging project to intercut digital and celluloid captured images for the splendid feature fi lm Slumdog Millionaire. © Pille Film Rental House, www.pillefi lm.de MEMBER PORTRAIT Robert F. Liu, ASC hen I was in high school, in Shanghai, I “W watched motion pictures constantly, enthusiastically. I averaged about 10 movies a week. I thought film was so exciting and believed it could actually affect people’s lives. “I started reading American Cinematographer before I was even in the business. It helped me learn more English, and it taught me the newest techniques in cinematography. “When I came to the United States, AC continued to be my handbook, and I’ve been reading it ever since. It’s a bible to every cameraman.” —Robert F. Liu, ASC ©photo by Owen Roizman, ASC TO SUBSCRIBE BY PHONE: Call (800) 448-0145 (U.S. only) (323) 969-4333 or visit the ASC Web site WWW.THEASC.COM SIMPLY THE 2 MOST VERSATILE LIGHTS EVER MADE New! New! Litepanels 1x1 Bi-Color™ Litepanels 1x1 Bi-Focus™ All in one: All in one: Variable Color Temperature Variable Spot & Flood Finally, ultimate color control right at your fingertips. A soft, high Move over Fresnel. Litepanels introduces Variable output light that lets you quickly dial up any color—from cool the world’s first electronic spot and flood focus dial white daylight to warm white tungsten. The new Litepanels® 1x1 lighting fixture. So game changing, it’s Bi-Color flood lets you adjust color temperature instantly so you patented, the revolutionary 1x1 Bi-Focus™ can adapt to different shooting conditions and skin tones on the fly. Like all Litepanels 1x1™ lights, the Bi-Color™ has a full-range features two complete groups of Litepanels’ proprietary day- dimmer, remains cool to the touch, runs on AC or an optional light LEDs—one set of spot and one set of flood—all in a single snap-on battery, and produces a great, soft-wrapping light quality. one-foot by one-foot square fixture. With a simple turn of a dial, you crossfade between the two sets to achieve infinitely variable flood or spot output. All in a 3 pound, cool-to-the-touch fixture. Plus, there is Litepanels’ world-famous 100% to 0 Litepanels Bi-Focus offers dimming, battery or AC versatility—and 5600°K Daylight 3200°K Tungsten variable beam angles Balanced 4200°K Balanced a super-thin, fit-anywhere profile. Litepanels® 1x1 Bi-Color & Bi-Focus both feature: Extreme Portability Dial-up brightness Runs on battery or AC 1’x1’ square & 1.75” thick Variable Cool to the touch color dial Ultra-lightweight, 3 lbs. (1.36 kg) Integrated DMX (new) Fits where other lights cannot go Snap-on battery option for wireless lighting Draws under 10% power of conventional lights Visit Litepanels’ new website today for the complete story. See us @ ® 818 752 7009 • [email protected] • WWW.LITEPANELS.COM Cine Gear MAY 2009 VOL. 90 NO. 5 The International Journal of Film & Digital Production Techniques On Our Cover: The mutant Logan (Hugh Jackman) is transformed into the indestructible Wolverine in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, shot by Donald McAlpine, ASC, ACS. (Photo by James Fisher, courtesy of 20th Century Fox.) 24 Wolverine’s Hour Features Don McAlpine, ASC, ACS brings brawny visuals to X-Men Origins: Wolverine 36 On the Record Rodrigo Prieto, ASC, AMC blends film and HD on State of Play 36 48 Reforming a Ladies’ Man Daryn Okada, ASC conjures spirits for Ghosts of Girlfriends Past 56 A Friend in Need Seamus McGarvey, ASC, BSC riffs on a true story for The Soloist 62 Technical Knockouts The Academy Sci-Tech Awards spotlight ingenuity 65 Cinematography’s Summit 48 A photographic recap of the ASC Awards weekend 8 Editor’s Note Departments 10 Short Takes: ASC Heritage Award Winners 16 Production Slate: Grey Gardens and Adoration 74 Post Focus: The Red Machine and My Suicide 78 New Products & Services 82 International Marketplace 83 Classified Ads 56 84 Ad Index 86 Clubhouse News 88 ASC Close-Up: John Lindley Visit us online at www.theasc.com May 2009 Vol. 90, No. 5 The International Journal of Film & Digital Production Techniques • Since 1920 Visit us online at www.theasc.com ———————————————————————————————————— PUBLISHER Martha Winterhalter ———————————————————————————————————— EDITORIAL Tripod Killer EXECUTIVE EDITOR Stephen Pizzello SENIOR EDITOR Rachael K. Bosley ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jon D. Witmer 1. No matter how inhospitable the location, TECHNICAL EDITOR Christopher Probst the Cinesaddle is easy to use; to set it up CONTRIBUTING WRITERS just put it down. Stephanie Argy, Benjamin B, Douglas Bankston, Robert S. Birchard, John Calhoun, Bob Davis, Bob Fisher, Simon Gray, Jim Hemphill, David Heuring, Jay Holben, 2. Small – Compact – Portable. Weighs less Noah Kadner, Ron Magid, Jean Oppenheimer, John Pavlus, Chris Pizzello, Jon Silberg, than two pounds. Iain Stasukevich, Kenneth Sweeney, Patricia Thomson, David E. Williams ———————————————————————————————————— 3. Get shots from angles not possible with ART DEPARTMENT any other camera support. CREATIVE DIRECTOR Marion Gore DESIGN ASSOCIATE Erik M. Gonzalez 4. Available in five different sizes. Works ———————————————————————————————————— with all film, video and still cameras. ADVERTISING ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Angie Gollmann 5. Absorbs vibration. 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ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Scott Burnell 323-936-0672 FAX 323-936-9188 e-mail: [email protected] CLASSIFIEDS/ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Diella Nepomuceno 323-908-3124 FAX 323-876-4973 e-mail: [email protected] ———————————————————————————————————— CIRCULATION, BOOKS & PRODUCTS CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Saul Molina CIRCULATION MANAGER Alex Lopez SHIPPING MANAGER Miguel Madrigal ———————————————————————————————————— ASC GENERAL MANAGER Brett Grauman Everything you want to know about the ASC EVENTS COORDINATOR Patricia Armacost Cinesaddle including streamed video clips ASC PRESIDENT’S ASSISTANT Kim Weston can be seen on our website: ASC ACCOUNTING MANAGER Mila Basely ASC ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE Corey Clark www.cinekinetic.com ———————————————————————————————————— American Cinematographer (ISSN 0002-7928), established 1920 and in its 88th year of publication, is published monthly 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. Cinekinetic USA Subscriptions: U.S. $50; Canada/Mexico $70; all other foreign countries $95 a year (remit international 345 W. 85th Street Money Order or other exchange payable in U.S. $). Advertising: Rate card upon request from Hollywood office. Article Reprints: Requests for high-quality article reprints should be made to McNeil Group at (800) New York, NY 10024 394-5157 ext. 26. Copyright 2007 ASC Holding Corp. (All rights reserved.) Periodicals Telephone: (212) 202-0675 postage paid at Los Angeles, CA and at additional mailing offices. Printed in the USA. Email: [email protected] POSTMASTER: Send address change to American Cinematographer, P.O. Box 2230, Hollywood, CA 90078. ———————————————————————————————————— 4 Technology For me, /i Technology is the embodiment of a 25 year old dream—we have been working “towards this type of collaboration between the camera and the lens for a long time and, since American Society of Cinema tog ra phers I have a long association with Cooke, I am The ASC is not a labor union or a guild, but delighted that they have made it possible. an educational, cultural and profes sional Jean-Pierre Beauviala or ga ni za tion. Membership is by invitation AATON ” to those who are actively engaged as direc tors of photography and have Cooke Optics Ltd. dem on strated out stand ing ability. ASC T 44-(0)116-264-0700 membership has be come one of the highest Canada, South America, USA: T +1-973-335-4460 honors that can be bestowed upon a www.cookeoptics.com pro fes sional cin e ma tog ra pher — a mark of prestige and excellence. OFFICERS - 2008/2009 Daryn Okada President Michael Goi Vice President Richard Crudo Vice President Owen Roizman Vice President Victor J. Kemper ! Treasurer " # $ %&'( ) !* & )+!!, -..&/- 0'12'2&0'.'13&4 0'.'13.'& !5 "6!% &%5 "5% Isidore Mankofsky Secretary John Hora Sergeant At Arms MEMBERS OF THE BOARD Curtis Clark Richard Crudo Caleb Deschanel John C. Flinn III William A. Fraker Michael Goi John Hora Victor J. Kemper Stephen Lighthill Daryn Okada Robert Primes Owen Roizman Nancy Schreiber Dante Spinotti Kees Van Oostrum ALTERNATES Matthew Leonetti Steven Fierberg James Chressanthis Michael D. O’Shea Sol Negrin MUSEUM CURATOR Steve Gainer 6 make it a masterpiece AG-HPG20: 10-bit, 4:2:2 master-quality fi eld recorder Recording 10-bit, independent frame, 4:2:2 master-quality content has required premium-priced equipment with limited mobility. Panasonic changed all this with the AJ-HPM110 P2 Mobile. 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