American Cinematographer - May 2000 - 147

Andrzej Bartkowiak, ASC [Speed, The
Verdict, Prince of the City\, for seven or
eight months before production began.
When we got on the set, Sidney had
already chosen camera angles and
lenses. This

information

had

been

passed on to the art and costume
departments. They, in turn, knew when
Sidney needed someone in full costume
or if just the top of the costume was
sufficient. You can save a great deal of
time and money that way, as long as you
don't get carried away. For Sidney's A
Stranger Among Us, on which I was an

and discover their characters

GSF is embracing the DV approach to

for

in

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on camera.

a smaller type of story; using a crew
of 30 instead of six would have been a

He and I talked about how you can

the

hindrance."
To

explore

this

emerging

aesthetic, GSF's digital film division shot

using five NTSC and PAL DV
including mini-DV, DVCam,
DigiBeta and high-definition units. Day
and night interior and exterior scenes
were shot simultaneously with the five
digital cameras, and the footage was
tests

cameras,

transferred to 35mm film. "We did that

producers and directors about
possibilities and limitations inherent
in each digital format," Penotti says.
GreeneStreet is also striving to
perfect the transfer of DV to film for
exhibition.
"We're
experimenting
extensively with different transfer
methods

and

film

stocks," Penotti

reveals. "We're also

possibilities are significant,
as the producer has found. "Digital video
presents a unique opportunity for
filmmakers to develop a new aesthetic,
and to stretch creatively beyond the
limitations of film. It also provides a
financially viable way to tackle projects
that might be considered too risky by
traditional industry standards," Penotti
says. He stresses, however, that GSF is
still devoted to making movies using film.

forging strategic
relationships that will allow us to create
digital animation and visual effects at
competitive costs." Toward that end, GSF
recently allied with The Orphanage, a
San Francisco-based digital-effects

"We

budgetary range, we greenlight projects
internally and with complete freedom,"
Penotti says. "We're happy to hit singles
and doubles
although a home run

are

intention

range

outside of Paris.

to educate

Those

most 35mm motion

two young men

filmmaking. However, the
company does not simply look at this
less-expensive alternative as a way to
avoid the high costs of conventional film
production. "We talk about the
aesthetics of digital-video filmmaking
every day at GreeneStreet," Penotti
explains. "We got involved with digital
capture through our conversations with
Harris Savides, ASC [The Game,
llluminata], who turned me on to the
options of digital video a few years ago.

alternative media."

on

The Inherited Chateau. "The film is about

The approach also allowed a more
intimate production style better suited

-

manipulate the image and move about
easily with the small cameras. Harris
is one of the best cinematographers
working today, but he also appreciates
the
storytelling possibilities of

They can also be used
telephoto lens conversions.

theater-like

In addition to its attempts to make
movies on film as efficiently as possible,

crash

so

lenses.

a more

style. In those types of situations, the
prep-and-wait approach that's necessary
with classical 35mm filmmaking simply
isn't appropriate."
As an example, Penotti cites an
upcoming GSF film written and directed
by Jesse Peretz and starring Paul Rudd,

one seven-

car

-

feature

Can be used

for actors to work in

hour

including a
day."

OpTex Universal x2 35mm Range Extender

Digital video seems

particularly well-suited to single-pointof-view material, where there is a need

who inherit a chateau
Shooting on digital
video enabled the actors to improvise

assistant director, we did 52 setups

1

work better than film with certain kinds

of story material.

film buffs [who have] no
of
overthrowing
the

established, 35mm filmmaking aesthetic,
which

we

absolutely love. However,
digital can sometimes

we've found that

company.

The

budgets of GSF's film projects
generally range from $4-$7 million, while
its DV features tend to cost between

$300,000 and $2 million. "Within

our

-

now

and then would also be nice!"

■
American Cinematographer - May 2000

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - May 2000
