American Cinematographer - January 2016 - 72

◗

Battle Tested

The filmmakers shot with multiple Arri Alexa XT Plus cameras, as well as a Vision Research
Phantom Flex, to capture the battle. "The obvious choice would have been to use film because
it's a period piece, but we wanted the movie to look more contemporary," says Arkapaw.

72

January 2016

American Cinematographer

two weeks to study Macbeth. He showed
me the art behind the words, and the
various meanings that could be deduced
from the text. It was an inspiring and
eye-opening experience for me as a
teenager - the genesis of my love of
literature and storytelling. So, many
years later, it was really meaningful to
have an opportunity as a cinematographer to give back to this play.
Why did you and Justin Kurzel
choose to shoot digitally?
Arkapaw: The obvious choice
would have been to use film because it's
a period piece, but we wanted the movie
to look more contemporary. We didn't
want it to feel nostalgic. So we shot with
the Arri Alexa XT Plus in ArriRaw.
Why did you choose to shoot in
anamorphic?
Arkapaw: The aberrations of
anamorphic help create an expressionistic and painterly effect. And they also
play against the sharpness of [digital
capture]. Anamorphic sits the aesthetic
somewhere in between a softer film look
and a harder digital look. We mostly
used Panavision C Series [lenses], and
also the E Series. We also carried a
Panavision ATZ 70-200mm [T3.5]
zoom and an Angenieux [Optimo] 48580mm [T5.6] zoom.
The anamorphic look varies
with the T-stop. Many old-timers
liked to shoot between T4 and 5.6.
Arkapaw: At that stop, you [no
longer see] the aberrations. I was more
between T2.8 and 4 - wide open is a
bit much for me. It's also about depth of
field. In general, I like having some
depth so you can enjoy the textures
behind the actors; I like to see the design
in the background of shots. However, I
will draw out the actor from the background for a powerful close-up when it's
the right time to do it.
How did you and Kurzel define
the vivid looks of Macbeth? Did you
talk about looks ahead of time, or did
you propose things on set?
Arkapaw: Justin and I met in film
school, and we've known each other for
12 years. We've probably done 20
commercials together, as well as his two



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - January 2016

Contents
American Cinematographer - January 2016 - Cover1
American Cinematographer - January 2016 - Cover2
American Cinematographer - January 2016 - 1
American Cinematographer - January 2016 - 2
American Cinematographer - January 2016 - Contents
American Cinematographer - January 2016 - 4
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American Cinematographer - January 2016 - 64a
American Cinematographer - January 2016 - 64b
American Cinematographer - January 2016 - 64c
American Cinematographer - January 2016 - 64d
American Cinematographer - January 2016 - 64e
American Cinematographer - January 2016 - 64f
American Cinematographer - January 2016 - 64g
American Cinematographer - January 2016 - 64h
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