American Cinematographer - April 1992 - 11

Eyepiece depth same
as projected depth
"A

couple of times when we were
and there wasn't time
to run a tape, I did flip on the mag¬
nifier before rolling. Usually it
wasn't necessary, though. The
depth of field I saw in the finder
looked exactly like what we later
saw projected on screen."
on

the go

Confidence

"When I took my eye away to tell
the Director we had it or we didn't
have it, I could say that with abso¬
lute confidence," says Mr. Lee.
"And there were no surprises at
the Dailies."

side of the

camera-magazine

ran the mic
about two inches from the camera,
with the mic pointing directly
at it. Through my headphones,
I could then hear it."

motor and lens. I

Quiet soundstage
"This

was on a

quiet soundstage

and using a Sennheiser 416, which
is highly directional. As soon as
I scanned past the camera and

panned the mic, I couldn't hear it."
"As

a

scan

Curiosity
rule, I do this type of close

when I notice

a

camera's

adjustable pitch is off-or
when I pick up magazine squeal.
This time, I hadn't heard
anything-I was just curious.
I was trying to hear it."

Jeff Okun
Visual Effects

Supervisor
design and execute the film's
Jeff Okun.

effects. Apogee hired

Two foot shot

"On Sleepwalkers' closest shot,
the lens was about two feet from
the actress," says Mr. Salcedo,
"And the mic was about four
inches above her head. I couldn't
hear the camera."

"Before

shooting began," he

says, "We ran a series of tests on
the 535. It was incredibly

steady-probably the steadiest
camera

I've

ever

seen."

Two-pass lock-off
the
Sleepwalkers set, observing. We
were scheduled to shoot a two-pass
"One afternoon, I was on

"Probably
Dennis Salcedo
Mic Boom Operator

lock-off effects shot the next

the steadiest
camera I've
ever seen."

morning, on that same set, using
one of Apogee's Mitchells."
Used 535 instead
"But that afternoon, they finished
the scene sooner than expected;
and they needed to strike the set
and move on," says Mr. Okun.
"The lighting was there, the set

Apprehension
Dennis Salcedo has been

a

Boom

Operator since 1984 and a member
of Local 695 since 1972. "When
they told me we'd be using a new
Arriflex, I was apprehensive,"
he says. "But on the first day of
shooting I was dumbfounded."

Visual Effects

experts test 535
Jeff Okun has been a freelance
Visual Effects Supervisor
since 1976. He has worked with

Apogee Productions since 1985.
Sleepwalkers hired Apogee to

was

there, the actors

were

there,

there. Only the Mitchell
wasn't there. So we made
that effects shot with the 535.
It looked great."
I

was

"So quiet
I could not

CLAIRMONT

believe it."
Two inch

"This

CAMERA

scan

new camera was so

I couldn't believe it. As

a

I scanned the boom mic

quiet

test,

along the

4040 Vineland Ave, Studio City, California 91604 * (818)761-4440
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American Cinematographer - April 1992

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