American Cinematographer - February 1984 - 84

| Rycote
slide

slide

they

silhouettes."
actors emerged out of
the shadowy environment with the cam¬
era tracking them and craning up. It

to last

shoots down, and the frame widens to
reveal the neon night town of the strip.

fiddling

screws

lining

holes.

for

decade.

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the new

fluid

movement, we go

camera

landscape of shadow and steam
to a sensual wash of light and move¬
ment. The sequence gives, as Laszlo
describes it, "a visual punch to the

major Broadcasting
Organisations world wide

than

one

from

Used by all
and Film

were

The

off

without any

with

gentle improvements
beautifully made

Weaver-Steadman

senses."
out

balanced fluid head

Another way to keep the tarp
of frame, and thereby avoid matte

paintings

conceived by John Valthirty may be the
youngest production designer working in
was

lone. Vallone, who at

.WITH VARIABLE GEOMETRY

features, had the elevated train
from Chicago
enclosed set.

ture

reproduced

"We decided to

struc¬

the

the "el"

use

track to match the Chicago
Vallone says, "and to cut off

FOR INFORMATION WRITE OR CALL

Weaver-Steadman

location,"
the top to
the set, so that during the daytime we
weren't going to be shooting over and
into the tarp, and would not need matte
paintings over the top of the buildings."
Vallone also laid

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MEXICO

Besides the obvious

advantages of shooting in Mexico we have

*
*

out

the

set

neon

The

neon

also served

as am¬

bient

light, and contributed to the use of
lighting units. Fortunately for the
large cast and crew working under the
tarp, there were not a lot of light units
generating heat. The tarp did serve as a
humidifier at times, trapping the evap¬
orating moisture from the wet streets, a
fewer

atraccions that will be hard to resist.
ARRI BL III: 400/1000' mags, video pick up.
ARRI III: Video pick up and full range of acc. Arri Syst. Ill
COOKE ZOOM LENSES: 25-250/20-100 mm./full range of filters

some extra
*

that the

signs and other set
dressings hid the tarp; and, if any bit of
the tarp did show, it would simply fall
off into black and become part of the
background.
so

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STEADICAM/BL III: With wireless video transmiter/low mode adap.
TYLER HELICOPTER MOUNT (Middle): Arri lll/IIC./Helicopters

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ELEMACK CRICKET DOLLY: With tracks (Straight and curved)/jib arms etc.
HMI LIGHTS (IANIR0): 4 Kw./2.5 Kw./1.2 Kw./575 W.

Grip Trucks/Catering service (C0MIFILM): Anywhere in Mexico.
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Actors like Rick Moranis in
wool blend costumes found working in
the humidity more than a little uncom¬

fortable, but maintained
humor about it.
Hill maintains

sense

"easy

going" set,
on

FILMMAKERS

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This

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even though he is working
movie with "a lot of layers in

which every scene needs a certain pre¬
cision." His production crew used the

tarp in what has become a catch phrase
of the production, an "artistic and prac¬
tical way." Universal, noted for being
one of the more economical studios,
has

again come up with a tool that not
only allows the studio to cut costs, but
allows the filmmaker to work in that

"artistic and

practical way."

■

American Cinematographer - February 1984

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - February 1984