American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 55
Miller, Deliverance, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Long Goodbye, Blow Out, The River, The Witches of Eastwick and The Black Dahlia. His many awards and nominations include an Oscar for Close Encounters, a BAFTA Award for The Deer Hunter, and an ASC Award for the telefilm Stalin. He earned the ASC Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999 and the Camerimage Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. No Subtitles Necessary retraces the lives and careers of these two legends through interviews with the principals, film clips, and a wealth of commentary by an array of industry figures, including Karen Black, Sandra Bullock, Graeme Clifford, Richard Donner, Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Tatum O’Neal, Bob Rafelson, Barbra Streisand, Sharon Stone, Jon Voight, John Williams and Irwin Winkler. Chressanthis also interviews several directors of photography, including ASC members Allen Daviau, Ellen Kuras, Stephen Poster, Owen Roizman, Vittorio Storaro and Haskell Wexler. Additional critical perspective is provided by film critics Leonard Maltin and Todd McCarthy and ASC publicist Bob Fisher. Speaking with AC in Cannes, Chressanthis describes himself as a cinematographer who has been “looking through a camera since I was 10.” He trained as an engineer and fine artist before progressing to documentary work; later, he enrolled in the cinematography program at the American Film Institute, where he met Kovacs during a workshop. Howard Schwartz, ASC introduced Chressanthis to Zsigmond, and he subsequently served as an intern on Zsigmond’s camera crew during production of The Witches of Eastwick. In the years since, Chressanthis has amassed his own body of work as a cinematographer, including the Emmy-nomi- nated biopics Four Minutes and Life With Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows. From the start, Chressanthis envisioned No Subtitles Necessary as a film outside the standard documentary genre. “Many documentaries, even very good ones, end up falling into the trap of being expositional — a school lesson,” he observes. Describing Kovacs and Zsigmond as “complex individuals,” he adds, “I didn’t think of this film as a documentary, but as a non-fiction dramatic film.” This philosophy led him to apply more dramatic lighting than is customary for a documentary, as well as dolly moves during interviews whenever possible. Chressanthis chose Anka Malatynska to be the project’s director of photography. In an e-mail from Thailand, she writes, “Working on the documentary was a deeply humbling experience. It was an honor to hear the stories of two masters. Every day, I learned something new about cinematography and the Hollywood school of hard knocks.” Six other cinematographers — Tarina Reed, Zoltan Honti, Christopher Johnson, Ed Gutentag, Melissa Holt and Chressanthis — lent their skills to the project as well. (The director also cites the significant contributions of producers Tony Frere, Zachary Kranzler and Kian Soleimanpour; editor and co-producer Elisa Bonora; associate producer Ashley Welles Lewis; and executive producers David Kaminsky, M.D., and Jimmy Conroy II.) The images in No Subtitles Necessary were captured primarily on Super 16mm and high-definition (HD) video, but the film is peppered with snippets of MiniDV and some Super 8mm (shot by Kranzler). Most of the picture was shot with Aaton XTR Prod and Arriflex 16SR-3 and 416 cameras on Kodak Vision2 250D 7205 and 200T 7217 and Vision3 500T 7219. Long interviews were shot with the Panavision Genesis, and some “off-the-cuff” footage was shot with a Panasonic AG-HVX200. Front-end lab work was done at LaserPacific with telecine onto HDCam SR in 1080p as opposed to 2K — a process Chressanthis refers to as “the poor man’s DI.” The film was shot in 50 days over 14 months, during which Chressanthis conducted roughly 70 interviews. The variety of lighting styles in the film is the result of a deliberate decision to adapt the form to the subjects and settings. For example, prior to the interview with Roizman, Malatynska recalls that Chressanthis asked her to light the set as “an homage” to Roizman’s highcontrast work on The Exorcist. In a smoke-filled studio at Mole Opposite page: After escaping from Sovietcontrolled Hungary during the 1956 insurrection, Laszlo Kovacs (left) and Vilmos Zsigmond became lifelong friends and prominent ASC members. This page, above: James Chressanthis, ASC has demonstrated his respect for the duo by directing and producing a documentary about their lives. Below: The film’s cinematographer, Anka Malatynska, found the production “a deeply humbling experience.” Photos courtesy of Majar Productions. American Cinematographer 55
American Cinematographer - September 2008
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - September 2008
American Cinematographer - September 2008
Contents
Editor’s Note
Global Village
Short Takes: A Perfect Place
Production Slate: Man on Wire, The Last Enemy
Portrait of a Lady
A Frightening Fable
A Tale of 2 Cinematographers
A Long-Awaited Redemption
Post Focus: Ntropic Adds Effects to PSAs
New Products & Services
International Marketplace
Classified Ads
Ad Index
ASC Membership Roster
Clubhouse News
ASC Close-Up: Pete Kozachik
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - American Cinematographer - September 2008
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - Cover2
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 1
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 2
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - Contents
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 4
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 5
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 6
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 7
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - Editor’s Note
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 9
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - Global Village
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 11
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 12
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 13
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - Short Takes: A Perfect Place
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 15
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 16
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 17
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - Production Slate: Man on Wire, The Last Enemy
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 19
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 20
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 21
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 22
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 23
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 24
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 25
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 26
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 27
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 28
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 29
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - Portrait of a Lady
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 31
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 32
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 33
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 34
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 35
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 36
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 37
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 38
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 39
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 40
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 41
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 42
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 43
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - A Frightening Fable
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 45
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 46
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 47
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 48
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 49
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 50
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 51
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 52
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 53
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - A Tale of 2 Cinematographers
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 55
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 56
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 57
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 58
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 59
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 60
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 61
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 62
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 63
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - A Long-Awaited Redemption
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 65
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 66
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 67
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 68
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 69
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 70
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 71
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 72
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 73
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 74
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 75
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - Post Focus: Ntropic Adds Effects to PSAs
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 77
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 78
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 79
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 80
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 81
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - New Products & Services
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 83
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 84
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 85
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 86
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 87
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 88
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 89
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 90
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 91
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 92
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 93
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 94
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 95
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - International Marketplace
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - Classified Ads
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - Ad Index
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 99
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - ASC Membership Roster
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 101
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - Clubhouse News
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 103
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - ASC Close-Up: Pete Kozachik
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - Cover3
American Cinematographer - September 2008 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0909
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0809
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0709
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0609
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0509
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0409
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0908
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0808
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0608
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0508
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0408
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1007
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0907
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0807
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0707
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0607
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0507
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0407
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/acbest2006
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200612
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200611
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200610
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200609
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200608
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200607
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200606
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200605
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200604
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200603
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200602
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200601
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200512
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200511
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200510
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200509
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200508
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200507
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200505
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200504
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200503
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200502
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200501
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200412
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200411
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200410
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200409
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200408
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200407
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200406
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200405
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200404
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200403
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200402
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200401
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200302
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200301
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200202
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200201
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200106
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200104
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200103
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200101
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200007
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200006
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200005
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200004
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200003
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200002
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200001
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com