From American Cinematographer, Camera Technique Dominates Filming Results by Claude W. Cadarette (January 1940)
Every movement of the camera must have a definite purpose behind it, and if it is done without a good reason you are just retarding the tempo of the picture.
_________________
note from ryan: This is not something I learned today, but a truth that was retold from an article written over 70+ years ago! It's quite frustrating that such advice and wisdom has been around for so long, yet legions of new filmmakers and directors insist on camera moves with no motivation or justification. What Claude failed to mention, is unjustified camera moves not only slow the tempo of the picture, but the tempo of the production. Elaborate dolly shots can cause longer set-up and execution times.
I read, discuss, and discover new things about cinematography everyday. Most of it, I consider incredibly interesting. Everyday I will share one of those things, maybe more if I have time.
Showing posts with label time. Show all posts
Showing posts with label time. Show all posts
26.5.09
Peter Biziou: 4 Second Sunrise
From American Cinematographer, This Is Your Life by Eric Rudolph (June 1998)
Another combination of in-camera and digital work occurs during a frantic nighttime search for Truman after he somehow eludes the ubiquitous cameras and disappears. Christof tells his staff to bring up the sun, even though it is still nighttime by the show's internal clock.
"We actually brought up the sun physically. Our key grip and the chief electrician mounted about 300 Par 36 bulbs into three large banks mounted on a tube frame on a crane hoist. We then jerked these lights up 60' in the air in about four seconds. We had an enormous black flag stretched between two cherry pickers just in front of the lights when we popped them into the air. The shadows of the people and the trees shortened quickly, and the horizon line washed across the buildings. It was quite an effect, and it worked well in combination with Mike McAllister's amazing impressionistic digital sunrise. Mike McAllister digitally added a little fill and diffusion in the last seconds of the shots depicting the effects of the rapid sunrise, just to help the fake sunlight look more like daylight."
- Peter Biziou, BSC
25.5.09
Vittorio Storaro: Dimmers & Limitless Possibilities
From American Cinematographer, Master of Light and Motion interview by Bob Fisher (June 1998)
"You can do whatever you can imagine. In The Last Emperor, there is a long, dramatic scene in a conference room. The actors are seated around a table, and no one is moving. We used the dimmer to create the impression that time was passing and the sun outside of a window was setting. The dimmer board can also save time between setups. The gaffer, control board operator and I would arrive, and everything would be ready for us. The early dimmer consoles were made for the live theater and television. We designed a new dimmer board for Tango. DeSisti Lighting [in Italy] made it for our use."
- Vittorio Storaro, ASC, AIC
"You can do whatever you can imagine. In The Last Emperor, there is a long, dramatic scene in a conference room. The actors are seated around a table, and no one is moving. We used the dimmer to create the impression that time was passing and the sun outside of a window was setting. The dimmer board can also save time between setups. The gaffer, control board operator and I would arrive, and everything would be ready for us. The early dimmer consoles were made for the live theater and television. We designed a new dimmer board for Tango. DeSisti Lighting [in Italy] made it for our use."
- Vittorio Storaro, ASC, AIC
Vittorio Storaro: 220v, Dimmers, & Speed
From American Cinematographer, Storaro and Bulworth by Garrett Brown (June 1998)
The use of 220 volts for all lighting reduces the diameter of copper needed for the cable runs, and the dimmers yield a great savings of time and energy-- fewer trips up ladders to throw in scrims, less heat on the set and longer life for globes and gels. Plus, everybody is visibly energized when the lights go up, and can relax when they go down. It's a great change from the timeless, perpetually-lit studio sets that are so enervating after the 20th hour.
Is Vittorio fast? I think so. With the right pre-rig, the system can be very speedy. I asked if being fast was important to him. Vittorio said,
"No. I understand that it can be very useful for the assistant director to know how long it will take if an actor needs to be called, or if they want to break for lunch—you have to tell them a number. But the process of changing from one shot to the other is very fast, so you can tell any number and everyone will be happy. Anyway you will wait for the weather, for the director, for something. I don't care if they tell me I'm the fastest or the slowest. Hollywood, to me, exaggerates everything."
- Vittorio Storaro, ASC, AIC
The use of 220 volts for all lighting reduces the diameter of copper needed for the cable runs, and the dimmers yield a great savings of time and energy-- fewer trips up ladders to throw in scrims, less heat on the set and longer life for globes and gels. Plus, everybody is visibly energized when the lights go up, and can relax when they go down. It's a great change from the timeless, perpetually-lit studio sets that are so enervating after the 20th hour.
Is Vittorio fast? I think so. With the right pre-rig, the system can be very speedy. I asked if being fast was important to him. Vittorio said,
"No. I understand that it can be very useful for the assistant director to know how long it will take if an actor needs to be called, or if they want to break for lunch—you have to tell them a number. But the process of changing from one shot to the other is very fast, so you can tell any number and everyone will be happy. Anyway you will wait for the weather, for the director, for something. I don't care if they tell me I'm the fastest or the slowest. Hollywood, to me, exaggerates everything."
- Vittorio Storaro, ASC, AIC
12.5.09
Jost Vacano: Time & Money: Europe vs America
From American Cinematographer, European Snapshots by Benjamin Bergery (May 1999)
"Jost said that when he asked for an operator in Germany, the producer answered, 'I can't afford one more person.' Then he went to America and wanted to operate as he was used to doing in Germany, but the producer told him, 'I can't afford that, it will go faster if you're not doing two things at once."
- Story retold by Wolfgang Treu, President of the BVK, told to him by Jost Vacano, ASC, BVK
"Jost said that when he asked for an operator in Germany, the producer answered, 'I can't afford one more person.' Then he went to America and wanted to operate as he was used to doing in Germany, but the producer told him, 'I can't afford that, it will go faster if you're not doing two things at once."
- Story retold by Wolfgang Treu, President of the BVK, told to him by Jost Vacano, ASC, BVK
Oliver Stapleton: Color Timing... Sound or MOS?
From American Cinematographer, Enchanted Forest by Chris Pizzello (May 1999)
"The balance between the dialogue and visuals is very crucial, especially in Shakespeare, so you can afford to be more oblique visually if you've got a lot of talking going on. Because the audience is listening hard, you don't want the pictures to overwhelm the speech. That's why I will always grade a film with sound. Some cinematographers like to time a film silently, and I'm not sure why. When I've timed a movie with no sound, I've tended to make the scenes brighter. You're seeking information from the pictures, and you're bound to feel differently about a scene if there's no sound."
- Oliver Stapleton, BSC
"The balance between the dialogue and visuals is very crucial, especially in Shakespeare, so you can afford to be more oblique visually if you've got a lot of talking going on. Because the audience is listening hard, you don't want the pictures to overwhelm the speech. That's why I will always grade a film with sound. Some cinematographers like to time a film silently, and I'm not sure why. When I've timed a movie with no sound, I've tended to make the scenes brighter. You're seeking information from the pictures, and you're bound to feel differently about a scene if there's no sound."
- Oliver Stapleton, BSC
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)