American Cinematographer - December 1999 - 24

desired.

generally covered

process the negative there. The
downside was that Deschanel didn't get

with two Panaflex cameras,

to see film dailies until he was four to

knew

five weeks

editor could tell

to

Deschanel
scenes

simultaneously recording wide and tight
coverage, usually from the same angle.
"You always make some compromises
when you light for multiple cameras," he
says. "That's especially true when you're
dealing with intimate close-ups in
dialogue scenes, but we needed the
coverage."
Technicolor in Los Angeles

deep into production (due to a
delay in the completion of a screening
room
on
location). "I wouldn't
recommend
that
approach," he

were

are

see

-

the lab and

that much. But there
the film that I

on

and could not."

For daylight exteriors, Deschanel
primarily on Kodak Vision 320T, a

lower contrast film that records

more

shadow detail, to compensate a bit for
the harsh overhead sunlight. Interiors
recorded with

were

a

mix of Kodak

Vision 500T and 320T,

depending on the
stop needed for depth, and the extent to

labs closer to the film's

which

working in Los Angeles, so it made sense

lighting.

Deschanel could control the

Green,

\

me

subtle details

locations, but editor Roger Bondelli was

%

in focus

we were

wanted to
relied

handled front-end lab work for the show.
There

emphasizes. "It is important to see film
dailies projected on a good screen. I

the

jungle's

most

A

i

l

dominant color, was used freely as the
film's primary color, and red and yellow

2

3

*i§

accents

were supplied by costume
designer Jenny Beaven, art director John
Ralph and set decorator Ian Whittaker.

"The colors bounce off the walls and
Cameraman Caleb

Deschanel, ASC

(top) relied
series of

on a

cranes

to

allow him to

constantly track
through the film's
environs,

suggesting the
"searching"
perspective of the
story's central
character,
Anna Leonownes.

floors

on different sets, and you can see
them reflected in skin tones and on shiny

surfaces," Deschanel notes.
The cinematographer says that
lighting load was lightened
considerably by gaffer Larry Shane.
"Larry wouldn't let himself be deterred or
bothered by anything," he says.
"Because the spaces were so big, we
didn't do a lot of fading in and out with
lights, except for some smaller shots in
areas lit by people carrying candles or

his

lanterns."

Shane worked with the prop

department to develop electrical lanterns
that convincingly imitated the warm,
flickering quality of fire and candlelight.
"We were just creating the illusion of
source light on those big sets at night,"
Deschanel says. "It must have been
pretty dark in [Mongkut's] palace during
the 1860s. The windows

small,

so

were

very

there was very little direct light.

We used

windows to

bring

some

was

mainly

for dramatic effect." To illuminate

scenes

our

light into the sets, though it

pertaining to Leonowens's perspective,
lights

were

were out

of

also hidden in niches that
sight and often behind the

cameras.

way
22 December 1999

There are subtle changes in the
Deschanel lit Foster thoughout the
American Cinematographer - December 1999

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