AV Specialist - Africa Edition Vol 92 - (Page 9)

cites as his ‘most ambitious project’ to date. Liversedge, once again, ventured into the Okavango Delta, searching for possible ideas. Only this time, it was with his recently acquired 50 kilogram IMAX camera. By chance, he stumbled on a 10 foot long ‘lion king’ and his two lionesses at the very same waterhole in the Nxai Pan that he first visited during a school expedition some forty years earlier. The waterhole lies completely in the open with hardly a tree or bush that predators could use for cover, which Liversedge recognized as the perfect location. “When I first saw the lioness' stalking a water hole in broad daylight with no cover I realized that it was possible to follow action relatively easily. The light was bright enabling me to get great depth of field with even some of the longer lenses - and I could track the animals for a long while before they became obscured,” he explained. Captured spectacular footage Shooting from his open Land Rover, it was within 3-4 weeks that he captured spectacular footage of a springbok leaping ten feet up into the air only to be brought down by a lioness in front of his 70mm camera. “It was then that I knew that I could develop the concept into a wildlife drama,” he said. Filming in close proximity to the untamed lions was the least of his worries and was, in part, reliant on his 40 years of experience and intimate knowledge of Botswana's Kalahari Desert. “There were times when they were so close that they brushed against the tripod during their charge, using me and the vehicle as cover to hide behind and sneak up on their prey. It was necessary to habituate the lions to our presence and once they became accustomed to the whirring of the camera and our vehicles, it was easy to film,” he said. “There was never a moment when I felt in real danger. Mostly, when one is concentrating so hard on getting the shot that there is no time to think about it,” he added. during filming and was dependent on the expertise of post production crew who reputedly removed dust particles from a record 60 thousand frames. For Liversedge the ultimate challenge was in post production as he had to place his 70mm film reel in the hands of new technology. “The filming of Roar was a considerable test of courage as to whether I would persist against the odds. It was a scary thought that maybe I would not be able to blend the formats. Ultimately, it has paid off and it has also set the pace for other filmmakers who are now using the digital intermediate,” he conceded. Digital intermediate Roar became the first giant-screen film to be created with a fully digital intermediate. Explaining the process, he said that the grain was resized. “The high resolution intermediate enabled us to colour correct in scenes, to stabilize the footage and reframe it slightly; It also cleaned up images in the digital domain and blended the different film formats that were used,” he said. In addition to the roles of principal cinematographer, director and producer, Liversedge oversaw sound production, working closely with renowned American composer James Levine. Final post production was done at George Lucas’ Sky Walker Ranch in San Francisco. Besides his two loyal assistants, Liversedge was supported his wife, June as a c0-producer. To coincide with the film’s release, June, an accomplished stills photographer, launched a collection of wildlife images. After spending almost three years in the post production of Roar, one could easily assume that this ‘grand old lion of Botswana’ as he is fondly referred to, will take time to enjoy the tranquillity of his home on the southern edge of the Okavango Delta, but you would be mistaken. Liversedge is currently on location filming his next feature on flamingos, having recently completed his second IMAX feature due for release in March 2007. “It’s important to archive as much as I can, while it’s still here,” he affirmed. Roar, Lions of the Kalahari, in partnership with National Geographic, is currently on circuit at IMAX theatres in Menlyn Park, Pretoria and Gateway, Durban. About IMAX With breathtaking, crystal clear images projected onto enormous screens and the accompaniment of exhilarating sound from state-of-the-art surround sound systems, audiences feel like they are part of the action. The IMAX experience is unlike any theatre screening, featuring screens as big as eight stories high and 120 ft/37 m wide, with specially designed multi-channel state-of-the-art digital surround sound systems that deliver superb clarity and quality for maximum impact. 9 The 15/70 film format used by IMAX is ten times larger than conventional 35mm film, and when combined with unique IMAX projection technology, is the key reason why films presented in IMAX theatres exhibit such extraordinary sharpness and clarity. Hollywood movies converted into IMAX's format have grossed more than $100 million worldwide. IMAX research shows that moviegoers will drive considerable distances and pay a premium price to have An IMAX Experience. Unique way of adapting With regards to the respective climatic challenges, Liversedge, like the animals, found unique ways of adapting and coping: To safeguard their equipment, stocks of film were stored in a portable freezer and whilst out in the sun, the magazines were draped in wet towels. “We were lucky not to have any film reels spoilt,” he noted. In addition to the sweltering 54%C temperatures, Liversedge had to endure dust storms, using cans of compressed air

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AV Specialist - Africa Edition Vol 92

Larger than life
Mediatech Aftrica shines bright in local market
HD camcorder runs with the wild dogs
Divers Down pursues tapeless workflow
Broadcast industy feedback

AV Specialist - Africa Edition Vol 92