American Cinematographer - April 2008 - 8

Editor’s Note f you’re reading this column at the NAB convention in Las Vegas, our cover story on 21 may prove a valuable resource in more ways than one. We hope the movie will discourage you from counting cards at the blackjack tables. (If you’re still not persuaded, I urge you to recall the “cheater’s justice” scene from Martin Scorsese’s Casino. Trust me, you don’t want to end up in the back room with a group of hammer-wielding goons.) In a more serious vein, Jay Holben’s interview with Russell Carpenter, ASC (“Card Sharks,” page 30) offers a valuable record of the cinematographer’s first experience shooting hi-def video on a highprofile project. Set in both Vegas and Boston, 21 is based on the true story of MIT students who formed a card-counting team that swindled millions in the gambling mecca — and then suffered the consequences. Detailing his visual strategy, Carpenter offers a quote that may hit home for those of you who have been wearing out your shoes on the show floor: “I wanted Las Vegas to be more about energy, wavelengths, bends and squiggles, a world in which color surrounds and engulfs its participants.” In working toward this goal, Carpenter decided to shoot with Panavision’s Genesis camera. “I wanted to be true to those large, low-light locations rather than overpower them with film lighting, and I thought the Genesis would be a great tool to accomplish that. Also, I knew I wanted to shoot with extremely long lenses and very wide apertures, and the ability to immediately see the image on a large HD screen and know I had the focus and the shot I needed was very appealing.” Vegas may be a classic tourist trap, but it’s nothing compared to the treacherous Mayan temple in The Ruins. Based on the horror novel by Scott Smith, the movie follows a group of sightseers who confront unspeakable evils in the jungles of Mexico. (And we’re not talking about Montezuma’s Revenge.) Darius Khondji, ASC, AFC was eager to take on the assignment, as he notes in his chat with Simon Gray: “I love the idea that the horror element exists openly in the heat of the aggressive sunlight. This approach is the antithesis of concealing with darkness and providing glimpses that reside in the audience’s subconscious. When there are no shadows, there is nowhere to hide.” Stereoscopic cinematography — more commonly referred to as “3-D” — is experiencing a renewed surge with the recent release of films such as Beowulf and U2 3D and the impending arrival of projects such as Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D. As we prepared to cover forthcoming 3-D titles, we felt it was time to offer a refresher course in some basic principles. Serving as the professor is ASC associate member Rob Hummel, who consulted with 3-D guru Peter Anderson, ASC while preparing his primer (“3-D Cinematography,” page 52). Rob’s informative article paves the way for future examinations of this tricky but increasingly popular format. This issue also offers our annual roundup of the indie films that caught our eye at the Sundance Film Festival (“Mining for Movies,” page 64). Various press accounts from the event focused on the relative dearth of big-dollar acquisitions, but our team of scouts (Rachael Bosley, Jean Oppenheimer, Pat Thomson, Jon Witmer and yours truly) enjoyed a number of memorable entries. We’ve spotlighted six this month, and we’ll pursue coverage of other promising titles as they’re released by distributors. I THE ART OF LIGHT Color Correction Diffusion Color Effect Tel: 818-238-1220 www.leefilters.com Stephen Pizzello Executive Editor 8 Photo by Douglas Kirkland.
http://www.leefilters.com http://www.leefilters.com
American Cinematographer - April 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - April 2008
