American Cinematographer - November 1999 - 30

percent." Kino Flos were also used in the
kitchen, providing the impression of a
soft downlight and allowing the actors
greater freedom in the confined space. In
the bunker, a spotlight effect was
created by a 4K toplight pumped through
a 3' x 3' aperture in the top of the
construction, helping to imbue the space
with

an

almost ritualistic ambience.

With the

at

help of Hugh Whittaker
Panavision, McGarvey adopted a set

of

Crystal Express lenses previously used
by Chris Menges on The Mission. "They
are adapted from old Cooke lenses, and
have an incredible quality," McGarvey

deflector

was

also

required because of

the constant drizzle and spray.

Only two film stocks
on

were

used

The War Zone: Kodaks Vision 500T

attests. "We used them without any

5279 for the

diffusion, and they had the advantage of

Vision 5274 200T for the exteriors. This

providing

selectivity

a

cameraman

bit

more depth of field." The
worked almost exclusively

with

standard primes for interiors,
particularly the 50mm and 100mm, but
used longer lenses for exteriors. A rain

Sr

PANTHER®

blessing for loader
Lyn Gaskin.
"Knowing the requirements of the lenses
and the low-light environments, T4 was
as low as I could go," McGarvey says. "I
love shooting on Kodak film because of
its consistence and clarity."
Film processing was handled by
Technicolor, and McGarvey was thrilled
with the service he received: "They did a
fantastic job. The timing of the dailies
was impeccable throughout, and I had
daily contact with the lab. What was
wonderful about the production, in spite
of current trends and our lower budget,

Michael Ballhaus
during his production
*
»What planet

O
>

_

-

■a' i

are you

from«

in Los Angeles.

was a

Dave Matches and trainee

was

During conversation:
"All requirements, which have been initiated by Dolly Grips or Camera men,
have been considered. The dolly is simply made with regard to easy ope¬
ration for the user. With the new crab and steer the grip possesses new
possibilities. In particular he will be pleased about the cut in weight. The
most important point, however, is in my opinion the reliability.
I want to use this dolly again in my next production. For one thing to give
the grips a chance to make experiences with the new equipment and espe¬
cially I believe that they will be very satisfied with the innovations of the
Panther Evolution. The Panther Evolution has been especially designed
to meet the requirements of those persons who work with this equipment.
And this a big advantage."
Michael Ballhaus

day and night interiors, and

that

we were

able to have film

dailies every

night. This became an
amazing point of bonding and cohesion
during the shoot, particularly given the
isolating and lonely spot we were in.
After a hard days work in the freezing
wind, sitting and watching the previous
day's rushes really knitted us together as
a crew

sense

and gave everyone a common
of purpose. That type of

experience is very unusual today with the
widespread use of electronic editing; as
a result, people can sometimes feel very
dislocated from a project."
The film's harsh location and

subject matter left an indelible
impression on those involved in the
project. McGarvey is particularly proud
of the results, and he gives director Roth
high marks for his achievement. "In
order to reach that state of emotion with
the actors, you have get into
emotional states. In the editing,

highly
these
things are refined and you are left with a
fine-tuned version. The spiky, bare
dailies were often excruciatingly painful
to watch, but during the editing process
with Trevor Waite, Tim shaped the

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Fax:
e-mail:

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contact@paJpiPpnbh.cte-'

hftp://www. panther-gmbh. de

footage into something that has real
integrity."
■
American Cinematographer - November 1999

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - November 1999
