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Home , Academy ratio, Aspect ratio (image), Barry Jenkins, Cinemascope, IMAX, Panavision

FOCUS GADGETS Prime Imagery LARGE-FORMAT LENSES SHAPE VISUAL STORYTELLING | BY DARON JAMES

Every story evokes a distinct visual tone. • COOKE - S7/I Lenses help detail the style. In the Summer THE INNOVATION: 2019 issue we detailed how large-format Cooke, which has manufactured lenses since 1894, is digital are becoming commonly known for creating sharp images that have a sense of used. Large-format lenses are following suit, capable of depth and shape with warm and natural tones. The “Cooke covering the larger image circles without a crop factor. Look” continues for full-frame sensors and beyond with With a dense field to choose from—including additional the S7/i lenses. Cooke stands out for its consistent options from Canon, Rokinon, Tokina and Zeiss—here are balance across focal lengths and control of flare, distortion five companies offering choices. and aberrations at full . Integrated Cooke i/ Technology collects detailed lens data, including focus distance, aperture and depth-of-field for production PRIME DNA and VFX teams to reference. The technology is an open • protocol aimed to create workflow standards by making

THE INNOVATION: equipment digitally compatible. Developed for the ALEXA 65 platform, each lens can be customized to create an inimitable visual palette— IN PRACTICE: one that matches the artistic style and emotion of the story. Director Richard Shepard and Vanja ARRI combined vintage with modern housing to help Černjul The Perfection, starring Allison Williams, using soften the digital look and keep up with complex workflow Cooke Optics’ S7/i Full Frame Plus and Anamorphic/i lenses. demands. Since being introduced, ARRI has expanded its “The structure of the story was told in three sections, and customizable lenses to other formats with DNA LF—lenses we wanted each section to have a different feel and color designed with a 49mm image circle to match the sensor of palette,” says Shepard. “We didn’t want it to be over the ALEXA LF and ALEXA Mini LF cameras. top or too obvious but subtle enough so you could still feel it. We were able to accomplish this visually in part through

IN PRACTICE: lens choice.” The versatile lenses have been attached to Barry Jenkins’ If Beale Street Could Talk and ’s Solo: A Story. Recently, director Todd Phillips paired multiple Prime DNA lenses of different focal lengths with the ALEXA 65 to stylize its visual language. Each spherical lens was detuned in a way to give a portrait-style feel and a distinct effect.

THE SPECS: THE SPECS: Focal Lengths: Focal Lengths: 35mm - 200mm 16mm – 180mm Aperture: T1.6 or higher Aperture: T2 (depending on lens) Image Circle: Image Circle: 62mm 46.31mm PHOTOS: (LEFT) ARRI; (RIGHT) RICHARD J. WEST/COOKE

DGA QUARTERLY 33 FOCUS GADGETS | CONTINUED

• LEITZ THALIA • SIGMA FF THE INNOVATION: HIGH SPEED PRIMES Capable of covering the ALEXA THE INNOVATION: 65 sensor, Thalia lenses are loosely Sigma is fairly new when it comes based on the Leica S-Lens series but to cine lens development, but the with significant changes, including FF High Speed Primes do not iris design, coatings and housing. compromise. Optically, the lenses Lightweight and compact, each focal are ready for high-resolution 6K- length touts a consistent look, and 8K shooting with edge-to-edge the iris keeps a circular shape through sharpness, a fast T-stop and a pleasing the entire aperture range. Visually, the bokeh. Built with an aluminum body images are not overly sharp and skin and a steel mount (PL, EF or E), tones are natural and smooth, with they’re fairly compact. Since their accurate color rendition. The bokeh • PRIMO ARTISTE introduction, Sigma has released a is smooth and full of character. The second full-frame prime line called lenses are available in PL, LPL and THE INNOVATION: Classic Art Primes, which have XPL mount with Cooke i/Technology. Panavision has deep roots in a monolayer coating for warmer The company also has introduced a dating back to the era color tones. What makes them new set of Leitz Primes for full-frame of the and is widely known unique is their price point: A full set image capture. today for lens customization, whether costs substantially less than most for rehousing, coating, detuning, competitors. IN PRACTICE: flare, glass arrangement or anything Since released, Thalia lenses have in between. The Primo Artiste was IN PRACTICE: been used on commercials, born out of the most requested In filmingTop Gun: Maverick, director series and feature , most recently customizations of its Primo 70 line. Joseph Kosinski reconnected with Stranger Things Season 3 and the The large-format optics include a fully cinematographer Claudio Miranda to HBO series The Undoing from director internalized motor, focus breathing frame the sequel to (1986), Susanne Bier and cinematographer control and metadata compatibility. using a complete set of FF High Anthony Dod Mantle. Mechanically, they’re as flexible as the Speed Primes with i/Technology in Primo 70s but aesthetically offer a combination with Fuji and Zeiss lenses softer, champagne look reminiscent of for principal . vintage lenses.

IN PRACTICE: Just Mercy director embraced for its wider field of view and intimate portrait aesthetic. “We wanted the audience to be so close to these characters that sometimes it might feel uncomfortable,” says Cretton. “I think that’s one of the most interesting things about this format and lensing, to be so close to the performances, but still feel the set and surroundings, without feeling claustrophobic.”

THE SPECS: THE SPECS: Focal Lengths: 27 mm – 250mm THE SPECS: Focal Lengths: 24mm – 180mm Aperture: T1.8 or higher Focal Lengths: 14mm – 135mm Aperture: T2.2 or higher (depending on lens) Aperture: T1.5 or higher (depending on lens) Image Circle: 46mm or larger (depending on lens) Image Circle: 60mm (depending on lens) Image Circle: 43.3mm PHOTOS: (L-R) ERNST LEITZ WETZLAR GIMBLT; PANAVISION; SIGMA CREDIT

34 DGA QUARTERLY FOCUS 36 BY DARON JAMES Visualizing Through AspectRatio GADGETS

DGA QUARTERLY mood ofastory. Here’s alookatsomeofthemost-used aspectratiosincinemaandtelevisionhistory. Simply put,aspectratioisashape.Choosingonecrucial,however, asitaffectsthecreative directionand |CONTINUED > (2001-2003) andDennisVilleneuve’s is finishedinit.’s the for cinemawhere nearlyevery majormotionpicture orindiefilm in partby theadvancement indigitalcameras anduseofanamorphiclenses.It’s become While CinemaScope fizzledinthe1960s, lives onwithmassive popularity > Driver Catch aThief a larger image. It’s oneofthemost common projected ratios infilm today. Hitchcock’s created thelookby rotating thestandard 35mm film90degrees for > Ultra Panavision 70 andSuperPanavision 70 gainedpopularity. of theWorld which projected three standard 35mm imagesonto agiantcurved screen. Moviegoers were introduced to widescreen for the first timewith > (2013) and specific scenes withit,suchasin Tiger Child The well-known format runs70mm horizontally, improving resolution andquality. > ’s > Eight to project wideimages, unlike itsCinerama counterpart. QuentinTarantino’s Ben-Hur examples offilms exhibited inthis format. Contemporary films (1939), OrsonWelles’ and soundnegative to 1.37:1, whichdominated for more than20years. The Academy ofMotionPicture ArtsandSciences stepped into standardize thepicture > used theaspectratio on followed by altering theaspectratio to 1.19:1. commercialized by William Fox, whichprinted thesoundtrack directly onthenegative, “Talkies” devised several methodsto deliver soundandpicture. Movietone was > television was madethisway untiltheadvent ofwidescreen 16:9(1.78:1). Hitchcock’s Countless classic films,including In 1909, Thomas Edison drafted cinemastandards that includeda4:3(1.33:1)aspectratio. > 2.20:1 −SuperPanavision 70 2.76:1 −Ultra Panavision/MGM 65 1.43:1 (1.90:1) − 2.35:1 to 2.66:1 (2.39:1) −CinemaScope 1.85: 1−VistaVision 2.59:1 − 1.37:1 − 1.19:1 (1.20:1) −Movietone 1.33:1 −Silentfilms (2015) recently revisited theformat. (1976) in1.85:1,andGuillermodelToro followed suitfor (1959) was anearlyadopter ofthetechnology that allowed for asinglecamera (1970) was thefirst, and today, directors suchasChristopher Nolancapture The Lodger: AStory of theLondon Fog Mother Knows Best (1956) and Lawrence of Arabia (1955) and IMAX (1952) Citizen Kane (1892) (1954) (1954) How theWest Was Won

(1970) Vertigo The Lighthouse (1932)

Gladiator (1926-1932)

(1928) andFritzLang’s (1958) harnessed thestyle. MartinScorsese framed Sunrise (1962).Needwe say more? A Trip to theMoon The DarkKnight (1959)

(1941) and Blade Runner2049 (1957) (2014) were framed withittoo. (2000), ’s (1927), directed by F.W. Murnau,was thefirst,

(2019). (2019).

(1954)

Casablanca (1962)famously utilized theratio before (2008)and

(1902), Chaplin’s (1927) took to theformat, andallof M (2017) showcase theformat. (1942)are themost famous (1931). Recently, Robert Eggers The Shapeof Water Interstellar Fish Tank Lord of theRings This IsCinerama The Kid The Wizard of Oz (2009), (2014). (2014). Seven Wonders The Hateful (1921) and (1921) and Ida trilogy trilogy (2017). (2017).

(1952),

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PHOTOS: PHOTOFEST CREDIT CREDIT CREDIT CREDIT