Leica. Finally. Only from Band Pro Worldwide
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Leica. Finally. Only from Band Pro worldwide. Band Pro Presents Leica Summilux-C™ Primes Extraordinary prime lenses that deliver future-proof optical performance on any resolution PL mount camera. US $7.00 Cine Gear Expo Booth # 70 SPRING–SUMMER 2010 SPRING–SUMMER Burbank 818 841 9655 • New York 212 227 8577 • Munich +49 89 94 54 84 90 • Tel Aviv 972 3 5621631 Display Until September 2010 Display WWW. BANDPRO. COM • WWW. BANDPRO. DE WWW.SOC.ORG CAMERA OPERATOR VOLUME 19, NUMBER 2 SPRING/SUMMER 2010 Why use a fully CGI image on the cover of Camera Operator magazine? Even if a shot like this is made in the computer, it certainly tells the reader what they are going to read about. Frankly, with a movie like this, I think many people forget that there were camera operators involved at all. With such great work, I’d hate for that to happen. —Jack Messitt, editor COURTESY OF WETA OF COURTESY Features The Dolly Grip Has My Back by Dan Gold SOC Proof that the dolly grip is a camera operator’s best 8 friend and lifesaver. Taming 3D Steadicam for Avatar Cover by David Emmerichs SOC Hazards and solutions for Steadicam with two cameras 14 on board. Crossing the Line Introducing a new series Camera operators try their hands at above the line 22 Jake Sully’s fi ghting jobs like directing. blue alien from Avatar, based on motion capture with actor Sam Truth Never Lies Worthington, by Sawyer Gunn courtesy of WETA Interview with Director Aiken Weiss and DP David J 24 Frederick about their award-winning movie. Midnight Movie by Hunter Clark Interview with Jack Messitt about writing and directing 34 an award-winning horror fi lm. Departments 3 Letter from the President 42 Hi-Def with Jeff by Dan Kneece SOC by Jeff Cree SOC 4 Editor’s Message 46 Advertisers’ Index by Jack Messitt SOC 47 Last Take 6 News & Notes What’s going on with members 48 Roster of the SOC and in the industry. as of 5/12/10 SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS Letter fr om the President When that happens the art goes out the BOARD OF GOVERNORS window, the point of view is lost, and ™ OFFICERS the director’s vision is compromised. President . Dan Kneece Th e majority of our eff orts are reduced 1st Vice President . Jack Messitt Let’s Make nd to movies by committee. Rethink Fresnel. 2 Vice President . David Mahlmann 3rd Vice President . .Bonnie Blake Real Movies I for one long for the return Litepanels® revolutionary Sola Series offers a Treasurer . Warren Yeager of the way it was when I got Recording Secretary . Dan Gold whole new world of LED Fresnel lighting. Designed Sergeant-at-Arms . Warren Yeager n our present day cinematic into this business. for today’s production, the Sola Series combines Iworld things are are Independents could the pleasing single-shadow properties of a Fresnel BOARD MEMBER COMMITTEE CHAIRS changing at a very put together a fi lm with Litepanels award-winning advantages Awards . David Mahlmann rapid rate. Produc- for a few hundred including full range dimming with no external Charities . .Bonnie Blake ballasts or head feeders. Communications . Warren Yeager tions are being shot all thousand, and get Corporate Liaison . David Mahlmann over over the globe, in it picked up and out Daylight-balanced Sola fixtures are simply the COY Awards . Dan Gold most versatile Fresnels ever made, offering beam East Coast SOC Rep . .Alec Jarnagin places that may or may to the masses through control of 70º to 10º, along with focus & dimming Events . Mark August not resemble the locales in theaters and drive-ins. It was – via a convenient touch screen (Sola6 & Sola12) Education . .Steve Fracol the original stories, for the commonplace, possible and or easy to use camera-like controls (SolaENG). Membership . Susan A Campbell Merchandising & Promotions . .Aiken Weiss sake of dollars and not the happened frequently, but And, unlike HMI Fresnels, Litepanels Sola Series Publications . Jack Messitt projects themselves. now with the advent of the offers full range dimming from 100% down to Screenings . David Tolsky Kickbacks and cheap labor blockbuster, smaller eff orts zero without noticeable color shift. What’s more, Technical Standards . Erwin Landau powerful and energy efficient Solas draw just a President Emeritus . .David J Frederick are the determining factors in are cut out and the new fraction of the power of conventional Fresnels and our business at present. defi nition of a low budget BOARD MEMBERS AT LARGE can plug into a standard household outlet to Studios and facilities are being JOEL LIPTON fi lm is one that costs millions Aldo Antonelli . Douglas Knapp produce soft, luminous output. Dan Coplan . George B Stephenson built in foreign lands to save instead of thousands. Samuel “Buddy” Fries . .Christopher Tufty and make money. If fi lms turn out to What does this mean for us as New! David Allen Grove . .Ron Vidor be good in addition it’s a bonus, but it’s Camera Operators? In a nutshell, Sola Series LED Fresnels: not a deal breaker if they don’t and if less quality work, less projects you can • Heat & flicker free STAFF AND CONSULTANTS Offi ce Administrator . .Diana Penilla they aren’t gimmicks can be used to get believe in, less passion, and more of • 100% to 0 instant dimming Webmaster . .Gregory White unsuspecting audiences into the a factory mentality. We are making • No noticeable color shift Website Staff . Astrid Phillips • 1/3 the weight of HMIs Publications Manager . Douglas Knapp theaters anyway. New buzz words like widgets, delivery vehicles for product • No external ballasts Publications Layout . .Lynn Lanning 3D and Empire Imax can be used to coax placement, and setting the groundwork • Instant restrike Publishers . IngleDodd Publishing viewers, but all too oft en the corners cut for video games. Where are the great Calligrapher . Carrie Imai • Touchpanel controls Eco-friendly: 95% less energy Legal Reps David Adelstein, Geffner & Bush leave audiences disappointed and characters, the great scenes, the great • 50,000 hours LED life & DMX built-in. disgruntled that they spent extra and quotes, the great moments that we is a registered trademark. didn’t get their money’s worth. What carry with us for a lifetime? ® All rights reserved. to do? I think it is still possible to have them, Th e simple answer is to start making but we all have to work toward that Think Litepanels. Camera Operator is published 3 times a year movies again. Not celluloid versions goal in earnest. Writers have to write by the Society of Camera Operators of video games or remakes of old ideas stories and characters that truly inspire SOLA MODELS or miscasting just for the sake of box us, directors have to fi ght for them, SolaENG Sola6 Sola12 Subscription Rates: USA $20/year WEIGHT 10 oz. (.28 kg) 6 lbs. (2.7 kg) 14 lbs. (6.4 kg) Outside USA $28/year (U.S. Funds Only) offi ce, but honest to goodness movies studios have to take chances on some- POWER DRAW 30W 75W 250W Subscribe online at that rivet you to the seats of the theater thing that isn’t a guaranteed success in OUTPUT EQUIV. 250W tungsten Fresnel 650W tungsten Fresnel 2000W tungsten Fresnel www.SOC.org and don’t let you go until they’re done the hopes that greatness will come from with you. Films that leave you with a the unknown and we have to step away For display advertising information, contact: great sense of satisfaction at the end and from the blockbuster. We just have to Sola12 Sola6 SolaENG Dan Dodd that joyous feeling that you’ve really do it. We have to make a conscious (310) 207-4410 x236 witnessed something life changing aft er move toward smaller interesting less fax: (310) 207-1055 [email protected] all is said and done. Th at’s what we’re commercial fi lms again. Aft er all we are lacking these days. I’m not saying there fi lmmakers. We tell stories. We make For article submissions, please contact: aren’t exceptions, but for the most part magic with the placement of our lens. SOC Attn Magazine PO Box 2006 we’re in a cultural void. How can we settle for anything less? Toluca Lake, CA 91610 Part of what’s at fault is the large Sincerely, Phone (818) 382-7070 amounts of money involved in produc- © 2010 by the Society of Camera Operators tion. Just like the many establishments ™ in the fi nancial crisis, these mega-movies 1x1™ Series MiniPlus™ Series Micro™ Series Ringlite® Series SeaSun® Series Sola Fresnel Series have become too big to fail and are Visit the SOC web site www.SOC.org propped up at all costs resorting to test screenings and changed endings if the test subjects don’t like what they see. ® ® Litepanels 818 752 7009 • [email protected] • www.litepanels.com A Vitec Group brand Spring/Summer 2010 CAMERA OPERATOR: LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT 3 Editor’s Message “Above the line” jobs are tremen- dously stressful, especially in today’s more corporate-infl uenced industry. Take Advantage of Your Crew But every director and producer should know that the “below the ilmmaking has always been a visual medium and with the line” crew is there to help tell their Freemergence of 3D, this is only becoming more evident. story the very best way it can be told. But good storytelling is so much more than simply getting Giving the crew an idea of the big good visuals or exceptionally inventive coverage. picture is extremely helpful in Without good dialogue, no one will care if the scene is one allowing us to do our jobs.