American Cinematographer - April 1989 - 68

Television

Specials, Pilots

The Caine Mutiny
Court Martial

Altman in New York when he

working

Jacek Laskus
Jacek Laskus
work
Caine

was

nominated for his

the television

special, The
Mutiny Court Martial. This

on

modern remake of

an

old classic

was

directed

ate

of the Polish film school. "\

by Robert Altman and
shot entirely on location in Wash¬
ington in a place called Fort Warden
near Seattle. Laskus is a 1976
gradu¬
came

to the United States

the fol¬

lowing year very fresh and hopeful
and I have not been disappointed.

was

Come Back to the Five
and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean.
"1 was the still photographer on the
film and seven years later I got a
call," Laskus recalled with a laugh,
"Altman was doing this film and
he needed someone to light it. I flew
on

to Seattle to meet with him."

After scouting locations
Washington one thing became
very clear to Laskus - his major
challenge was going to be Mother
in

Nature. The schedule
weeks
the

was

five

long and it all takes place in

same

courtroom

over a

24 hour

period. To compound the problem,
the schedule had the

crew

in Wash¬

ington in October and November

-

months when the weather is

capable of anything. But Laskus
had a plan.
At Laskus' suggestion the
drama

Providing remarkable rigidity
coupled with light weight (only
11 lbs., 6 oz.), the all-aluminum
3140 features double-strut, cen¬

bogen
we don't sell

we

anything
wouldn't buy ourselves.

Bogen Photo corp., 565 East Crescent Avenue
P.O. Box 506, Ramsey, NJ 07446-0506.

"\

Name.
Street.

in New York City
and that is where I
career. I began with

was

for nine years

.State.

the real one."

a

film called Far From Poland. It

was a

docu-drama that combined docu¬

mentary footage with re-enacted

footage. It was then I realized that I
was much more interested in light¬
ing and controlling the situation
than capturing it. This film allowed
to make the transition to

fea¬

My first feature was called
Parting Glances and that was fol¬
lowed by The Square Dance," Las¬
kus said recently.
tures.

Zip.

April 1989

the

from the ambient side of the

building and I didn't have to battle

My first full length picture as
director of photography was on a

Telephone

66

sunlight coming in them. So I built
awning on the south side of the
building to block the direct sun. I
brought my sun from the north side
with HMIs. This way I could create

taries.

Laskus first met Robert
City

two

started my
small commercials and documen¬

me

Please tell me more
about the 3140 Tripod

over

an

Jacek Laskus

Also available in black anodized
finish, the 3140 is a natural for
education and industrial use.
Ask your dealer or complete the
coupon below.

scheduled

faced north and south and that
made it hard to control the direct

ter-braced construction. Extends
to 73 " (with Mini Fluid Head) and
folds to a compact 321/2" for easy

travelling.

was

days-one for the defense and one
for the prosecution. The passage of
time allowed him to vary the
lighting - a sunny day into early
evening and followed by rain the
next day. He also decided to change
the geography of the building. He
explains: "Most of the windows

sun

Laskus and Altman
sidered

carefully the best

con¬

way

to

introduce the character of

Captain
Queeg to the audience. They began
with his arrival outside, brought
him down a hallway and into a
waiting room. "We actually started
inside the courtroom

on

the face of

the defendant and drifted off his
face to

a

limousine outside.

Queeg

gets out of the limousine and comes
into the hallway and he remains in
silhouette

person.

-

more

a

statue than

a

We kept him in silhouette
American Cinematographer - April 1989

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