                 
|
director of photography, DIT, peter gray, dp, cinematography, dop, cinematographers, lighting cameraman, videographers, dv, high definition, 24p, digital films, HDW-F900, CineAlta, Varicam, AJ-HDC27F, Viper, 70mm, independent films, lighting directors, filmmakers, filmmaking, HDW-700ARECENT PRODUCTIONS
Training ( December 13 & 15th, 2004 ):SANTA FE HD WORKSHOP - UCLA Helped out tutoring with the Varicam and Viper camera systems. The workshop was held on and around the George Burns Sound Stage in the Melnitz Building on the UCLA campus, in Los Angeles. Feature Documentary ( December 11 & 12th, 2004 ):THE AGAVE MOMENT (24p High Definition Digital - 1x HD Varicam) Worked as the DIT (Digital Imaging Technician) with D.P., Rus Harper, and director, Jessica Yu, on her latest project, The Agave Moment, a feature documentary being shot with the HD Varicam. Producers are Sue West of Diorama Films, LLC., and Elise Pearlstein. We interviewed a former bank robber turned author, Joe Loya (really fascinating stuff). Jessica Yu won an Academy Award in 1997 for BREATHING LESSONS (Oscar for Best Documentary). In her 1997 Oscar acceptance speech, she said: "You know you've entered new territory when your outfit cost more than your film." Discovery Channel HD ( November 18th, 2004 ):MONSTER GARAGE - Season 4 (24p High Definition Digital - 2x HDW-F900/3 + 2x HDW730) Worked as the 24p HD Engineer (DIT) for Original Productions matching their newly acquired HD cameras for their show, MONSTER GARAGE. Worked with the D.P., Dylan O'Brien (and his camera crew), setting the look for the show in their two Sony HDW-F900/3 and two Sony HDW-730 High Definition cameras, and also tweaked them to match each other as closely as possible. Feature Film ( November 3, 4, 5th, 2004 ):FEAST (24p High Definition Digital - 2x F900 /3) Worked as a temporary stand-in DIT (Digital Imaging Technician) with D.P., Tom Calloway, on the Project Greenlight feature, FEAST. Television Promo - Playboy Channel ( October 28th, 2004 ):SEVEN LIVES XPOSED Season 4 (24p High Definition Digital - F900 /3) Worked as the 24p High Definition Engineer (DIT) with D.P., Rudy Harbon, shooting a High Definition promo for the SEVEN LIVES XPOSED "reality" series for the Playboy Channel. On-screen talent is A.J. Benza, who is also the host of the "E! Mysteries & Scandals" Television Series. The production company is YARNBIRD Inc., the director is Timothy Edwards, and the line producer, Jennifer Russakoff. Television Pilot ( October 18,19th, 2004 ):1/4 LIFE (24p High Definition Digital - F900 /3) Worked as the 24p High Definition Engineer (DIT) with D.P., Bob Primes, ASC, shooting tests for the upcoming TV pilot, "1/4 LIFE". Marshall Herskovitz, the producer of The Last Samurai, Traffic, Legends of the Fall, and Thirtysomething, is directing. We shot comparative tests with a wide range of HD / SD / and Film camera options, namely (1) Sony F900/3, (2) Panasonic Varicam, (3) Thomson Viper in two 4:2:2 modes, (4) Sony HDC-950 with fiber optic link, (5) a 16mm Arri SR3, (6) a 35mm Moviecam, (7) Panasonic SDX900, (8) Canon XL-2, and (9) Panasonic DVX-100A. For the non-camcorders, we recorded to a D-5 HD deck, and also to a HDW-F500 HDCAM external deck. Later, everything was put on D-5 HD for the final comparison. Very complicated to execute, but a very interesting test indeed. I believe the Panasonic Varicam was eventually chosen as the camera of choice to shoot this particular pilot. Live TV Show - Playboy Channel ( October 6th, 2004 ):NIGHT MOVES (24p High Definition Digital - 1x F900 /3) Worked as a Digital Imaging Technician (DIT) matching the "look" and colorimetry of one of Playboy's own Sony HDW-F900 /3 camcorders to that of three robotically-controlled Ikegami HD cameras in Studio 3 in preparation for a new live show. Feature Film ( July 27th to September 4th, 2004 ):VENUS AND VEGAS (24p High Definition Digital - 3x F900 /3) Worked as the 24p High Definition Engineer (DIT) on the feature, VENUS AND VEGAS. It is a light-hearted comedy about these novices bungling a heist in Las Vegas and getting themselves into deeper and deeper water with many twists and turns. The director is Demian Lichtenstein, whose last film was 3000 MILES TO GRACELAND staring Kurt Russell, Kevin Costner, Courteney Cox, Christian Slater, Kevin Pollak, and David Arquette. The D.P. is James Chressanthis, ASC (one of the D.P.'s on CHICAGO). The budget is about $3.5 million with 5 weeks shooting. The movie is set in Las Vegas, but we only went there for 4 days to shoot exteriors and some interiors right at the end of the shooting period. The movie was very well cast in my opinion, and included: Jon Polito who played Detective Sherman in STUART LITTLE, Mr. Bumstead in THE HUDSUCKER PROXY, Lou Breeze in BARTON FINK, Johnny Caspar in MILLER'S CROSSING, and Detective Walter Bedsoe in HIGHLANDER.
Reality Series - Playboy Channel ( July 8th & July 28th, 2004 ):SEVEN LIVES XPOSED (Season 4) (24p High Definition Digital - 2x F900 /3) Worked as the 24p High Definition Engineer (DIT) setting up and matching two Sony HDW-F900 camcorders for the fourth season of SEVEN LIVES XPOSED. Worked with D.P., Michael Goi, ASC, and the shows video tech, Gavin Wynn. The camera package came partly from Wexler, combined with Playboy's own equipment. Reality Series - Playboy Channel ( June 25th, 2004 ):THE EXTREME TRUTH II (Season 2) (24p High Definition Digital - 2x F900 /3) Worked as the 24p HD Engineer (DIT) with the director, Kelley Cauthen, and the D.P., David Armstrong, setting the "look" and matching two CineAlta F900 cameras in preparation for 3-weeks location shooting, or "Phase 2", of the reality-style TV series, THE EXTREME TRUTH II, which will air on the Playboy Channel. In the show, couples are hypnotized and asked about their deepest secrets and fantasies, which are later revealed to their partners on camera. The first part of the production was studio-based and recorded in Playboy's Andrita Street Studios (Phase 1). The second part of the production is shot on location where the participants fantasies are re-created (Phase 2). The Executive Producer is Kelley Cauthen, the Supervising Producer is Randy Rowen, and the Line Producer is Erik Heiberg. Feature Film - Dreamworks ( June 22nd, 2004 ):COLLATERAL (24p High Definition Digital - F900 /3) Worked as the 24p HD Engineer (DIT) with D.P. and Visual Effects Director, John E. Sullivan, shooting "background plates" for the Dreamworks feature, COLLATERAL, directed by Michael Mann and starring Tom Cruise. We shot several car shots ("background plates") from a taxi window at night with a Panavised F900 CineAlta. The camera package came from Panavision, Woodland Hills.
Commercial ( June 15th, 16th, 17th, 2004 ):SONY WEGA TELEVISION (24p High Definition Digital - F900 /3) Worked as the 24p HD Engineer (DIT) on this Sony commercial. The client is SONY Electronics Inc. in San Diego, CA, the agency is YOUNG & RUBICAM of New York (Richard Rosenthal - producer) and the production company is PYTKA of Venice, California (Anna Joseph - producer). The editor is Adam Liebowitz of GO ROBOT! in New York. The director / D.P. is the (infamous) Joe Pytka, one of the world's most acclaimed directors of commercials. The product is the new Grand Wega television system. The camera package came from Clairmont Camera. Feature Film ( May 25th and 26th, 2004 ):HEIDI 4 PAWS (24p High Definition Digital - 2x F900 /3) Worked as the 24p HD Engineer (DIT) with D.P. Peter Moss, ACS. This was test shoot (all green screen) for a forthcoming MGM feature featuring all animal actors. Tim Goldberg is the producer from Ocean Park Pictures. The camera package came from Clairmont Camera. Reality Series - Playboy Channel ( May 6th & 8th, 2004 ):THE EXTREME TRUTH II (Season 2) (24p High Definition Digital - 3x F900 /3) Worked as the 24p HD Engineer (DIT) with the director, Kelley Cauthen, and the D.P., David Armstrong, setting the "look" across three CineAlta F900 cameras in preparation to shoot the reality-style TV series, THE EXTREME TRUTH II, which will air on the Playboy Channel. In the show, couples are hypnotized and asked about their deepest secrets and fantasies, which are later revealed to their partners on camera. The production is based on a set in the (new) Andrita Street, Playboy Studios, and will incorporate some location shooting where some of the participants fantasies will be re-created. The Executive Producer is Kelley Cauthen, the Producer is Randy Rowen, and the Line Producer is Erik Heiberg. The camera package came partly from Wexler, combined with Playboy's own equipment. DVD Promotional ( May 3rd & 4th, 2004 ):ALONG CAME POLLY (24p High Definition Digital - F900 /3) Worked as the 24p HD Engineer (DIT) with D.P. and Visual Effects Director, John E. Sullivan, shooting promotional and additional material, primarily to promote the DVD release of the movie, ALONG CAME POLLY. The movie stars Ben Stiller and Jennifer Aniston and was originally released to theaters in mid-January, 2004. We photographed a very life-like, anatomically-correct "puppet" of a ferret, which was an extremely cute looking guy I might add. All the movements were created by two puppeteers using rods and wires that will be later removed in post. The ferret bounds around the place, runs into things, goes sliding across the floor and so on ..... and even drives a little blue car. We used "luma keying" against a white background, as opposed to "green/blue screen" or "chroma keying". The CineAlta camera package was supplied by Bexel Corporation (Matthew McCracken). A fun day, although I was fighting lack of sleep as I had to get up at 4:30am in the morning in order to get to the set by 7am at the (amazing) Animal Makers studio in Simi Valley (about a 110 mile drive for me) http://www.animalmakers.com Public Service Announcement about Cancer ( April 27th & 28th, 2004 ):PSA with Lance Armstrong (24p High Definition Digital - HD Varicam) Worked as the 24p HD Engineer (DIT) with D.P., Dave West (from Philadelphia). The production company is Shooters Post and Transfer in Philadelphia, PA. The line producer is Claudio Kuhn, and the (local) production manager is Kevan Dirinpour. Locations were Raleigh Studios (Stage 6) and day exteriors in Griffith Park. The Varicam camera package was supplied by Bexel Corporation (Mark Alexander). LANCE ARMSTRONG - National and world champion cyclist, two time Olympian, renowned humanitarian, role model, cancer survivor, and now 5-time winner of the Tour De France, Lance Armstrong is clearly one of the most celebrated and charismatic contributors to the sport of cycling. He not only made world headlines in Paris on July 25, 1999 with the most stunning comeback ever in the history of sport, but the personal side of this resounding triumph brought Lance's life and career full circle. To say that he is an emotional athlete is an understatement. To say that he is a passionate and fearless competitor is evident. However, what may not be so readily apparent is the depth of character and generosity of spirit that is so much a part of the psychological blueprint of this modest and straightforward hero. Feature Film - Dreamworks ( April 9th & 10th, 2004 ):COLLATERAL (24p High Definition Digital - 2x F900 /3) Worked as the 24p HD Engineer (DIT) with D.P. and Visual Effects Director, John E. Sullivan, shooting "background plates" for the Dreamworks feature, COLLATERAL, directed by Michael Mann and starring Tom Cruise. We shot approximately 40 "background plates" with two Hi Def cameras (F900's) from sunset to dawn, mostly on the "Green Line" of the metro system. They will be inserted in the final climactic scenes of COLLATERAL, where the Tom Cruise character is chasing a couple of dudes around a train with guns. I wont say more than this, as I don't want to give away too much about the story line. The Visual Effects Director, John Sullivan, had very precise camera heights, focal lengths, focus, degrees of tilt and pan for each shot, and precise locations to shoot along the track of the metro system. So all this trouble just to get the views out of the train windows working in this scene. A long night ..... we wrapped at 6:30am Sunday morning - yawn. For this shoot, we used the eCinema EDP 100 HD-SDI to DVI converter with the Apple HD Cinema Display (1920 x 1200 TFT) for monitoring the cameras on the train. We also had a standard Sony 9-inch High Def monitor. The Sony CRT was more of a backup system, but I was also interested in comparing the two displays side by side in a practical context like this. I believe we were among the first productions to use this approach as an alternative to the traditional CRT-type HD monitors? Generally speaking, the eCinema EDP100 and the Apple HD Cinema Display performed well in this application. The power consumption requirements was quite low, which was an important consideration in this case as we had to be prepared to run everything from batteries (......but as it turned out, 110-volt outlets were available on the train, and our elaborate battery systems were not needed). We were also getting strong electromagnetic interference from under the floor of the (electric) train which was adversely effecting the image on the Sony HD 9-inch CRT monitor, while the image was stable and unaffected on the eCinema system. An obvious advantage of LCD/TFT technology over CRT in this particular case. The relative size of the image on the eCinema system was its single biggest advantage over the 9-inch CRT monitor. We could see detail in the TFT display that was difficult, or virtually impossible, to see in the smaller image. The degree of bounce or vibration in the specially-mounted camera platforms on the front and back of the train is a good example. The main downside of the LCD/TFT display was it relatively slow Response Time producing a strong lag effect when displaying motion (camera or subject). But it seems CRT is old technology that is quickly getting out of date these days! The camera package was supplied by Plus 8 Digital (Michael Toay). Exercise Video Series - Showdown Pictures ( April 5th & 6th, 2004 ):SPORTSKOOL Fitness/Yoga (24p High Definition Digital - 2x F900 /3) Worked as the 24p HD Engineer (DIT) with D.P., Sion Michel, ACS. The client is Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc. in New York, and the show was produced by Showdown Pictures in Los Angeles with Executive Producer Brian Lovell, Producer Rafael Estrella, Production Manager Jon Goldberg,and Production coordinator Sofie Bjorkman. The location was CBS studios, Stage 11. The camera package was supplied by Panavision Hollywood (Dan Donovan). Feature film - MGM ( March 17th to 29th, 2004 ):SPECIES 3 (24p High Definition Digital - 2x F900 /3) Worked as the 24p HD Engineer (DIT) with Director of Photography, Christian Sebaldt (originally from Germany), on the last 9 days on this 26-day feature. The production was under the supervision of Hudson Hickman, the Senior Vice President of Production at MGM. The Executive Producer is Frank Mancuso, Jr., the Producer is David Dwiggins, the Writer is Ben Ripley, and the Director is Brad Turner (from Canada). The main locations were the Southern Californian Edison Redondo Beach Steam Plant (power station) and the main stage at City Studios, 7700 Balboa Blvd., Van Nuys, California. MGM plans to release a DVD box set with all three SPECIES movies. The budget for SPECIES 3 is about 20% of the original movie, SPECIES, which was around US$30 million. So I estimate the budget for SPECIES 3 to be approximately US$6 million. Consultation - Discovery Channel HD ( February 25th, 2004 ):MONSTER GARAGE (24p High Definition Digital - HD Varicam) Worked as the 24p HD Engineer (DIT) with Brett Rodney and Samantha Stander from the company, Crescent Hollywood, LLC., demonstrating the HD Varicam to the producers and the D.P. of Monster Garage, Dylan O'Brien. Discovery Channel plans to go High Definition for this and another new show called "BIG". The job was consulting and demonstrating HD cameras (Varicam systems), so the producers could evaluate HD technologies in relation to their requirements. Sony "Dreams 2004" MAGIC DVD ( February 21st, 2004 ):BREAKFAST (24p High Definition Digital - F900 /3) Worked as the 24p HD Engineer (DIT) with D.P., Mark Plummer, shooting the experimental short entitled "Breakfast" (a short about being 5 years old) which was released on the Sony "Dreams 2004" MAGIC DVD. It was produced by Tools of North America, Joby Ochsner Producer, and directed by Erich Joiner. The concept of the "Dreams" project was developed by the advertising company in New York, Young & Rubicam. The HD camera package was supplied by Panavision Woodland Hills (Jim Roudebush). Concert Sequences - Las Vegas ( January 24th & 25th, 2004 ):ELTON JOHN (24p High Definition Digital - F900 /3) Worked as the 24p HD Engineer (DIT) shooting background sequences for a series of ELTON JOHN concerts in Las Vegas. The shows will be at the Colosseum at CAESAR'S PALACE in the same venue where Celine Dion is also performing. When she goes on hiatus, then the Elton John shows start beginning February 12th, 2004. The interesting thing is that these sequences will be shown on a huge, curved, LED screen 33 feet high by over 100 feet wide at the back of the stage. They refer to it as a "Jumbo Tron" and I was told it cost over 10 million dollars to install. Elton looks like an ant standing in front of it, or in other words, the screen is six times higher than he is, and extremely wide. It is somewhat reminiscent of Cinerama and the early days of CinemaScope with its gently curving screen and extremely large size (only digital). The shape of the "Jumbo Tron" screen is 3 is to 1. So we shot everything in this very unusual aspect ratio. This is quite a bit more "letterboxed" in shape than even CinemaScope (which is the widest cinema format in common usage). We shot sequences for two songs, DON'T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME, and DANIEL. For the first song, we shot a living room interior set with rather complex lighting changes executed during the shot. These light changes represented the passage of time over a 24 hour period from dawn to dusk, back to dawn again, and so on in a cyclic fashion. The effect is as if we had shot this room with a time-lapse camera over several 24 hour periods. The travel of the sun across the sky, for example, was achieved with a dimable 20K tungsten light travelling across the studio sound stage on a crane. This travelling light was projected through a wall of colored gels so the color of the light changed for different times of the day between dawn and sunset. The sequence for DANIEL was done completely differently, and was largely constructed in post by compositing various visual elements together, including archival footage. So we just shot the foreground "plates" for this sequence. We shot on Stage #9 at the Hollywood Center Studios (in North Las Palmas Avenue). The director is David LaChappelle, the D.P. is Michael Bernard, and the production company is LUCID SHOOT. David LaChappelle will also act as the Production Designer for the Las Vegas shows. The High Definition camera package (F900) was supplied by Panavision Hollywood. Television Promo - Playboy Channel ( December 18th, 2003 ):TAX DAY 2004 PROMO (24p High Definition Digital - F900 /3) Worked as the 24p HD Engineer (DIT) with D.P., Rudy Harbon, shooting this television promo (work title "Tax Relief") in the new Playboy Studios in Los Angeles (3030 Andrita Street). The client is Playboy Entertainment Group, Inc., the production company is Yarnbird, Inc., the director, Timothy Edwards, and the line producer, Jennifer Russakoff. Television Show Opener ( December 1st & 2nd, 2003 ):MTV's THE REAL WORLD SAN DIEGO (48p & 60p High Definition Digital - Varicam) Worked as the 24p High Definition Engineer (DIT) and on-set colorist with D.P., Matt Valentine, shooting the main title sequence for the 14th season of MTV's, THE REAL WORLD on a beach in San Diego. Yes, they are up to the 14th season already!!! They started shooting this show in 1989 or 1990, or there abouts!!! It is really the granddaddy of all Reality TV Shows, apparently. We needed to get a summery-beach look in early December (i.e. virtually in winter), and we managed to pull this off very well I think. We shot everything slow motion (mostly 48fps, and some at 60fps) with a HD Varicam package from Plus 8 Digital in Burbank. The production company is Bunim / Murray Productions (as RW Productions), and the Line Producer is Ted Kenney. Television Promo - Playboy Channel ( October 23rd, 2003 ):Spice Live Graphics Package (24p High Definition Digital - F900 /2) Worked as the 24p High Definition Engineer (DIT) and on-set colorist doing 'Green Screen' sequences with D.P., Bill Sheehy at the Andrita Studios, Los Angeles. The production Company is Spice Entertainments, a division of the Playboy Channel. The directors are Brian and Brad Palmer who have a special effects company based in New York. Television Sitcom - Warner Brothers ( September 18 & 19th, and 25 & 26th, 2003 and October 16th & 17th, 2003 ):RUN OF THE HOUSE (24p High Definition Digital - 4x F900 /3) Stood in for DIT, Ryan Sheridan, for episode 5 "Where There's Smoke, There's Fire", episode 6 "Chris Gets A Job", and episode 8 "Chris's College Friend" on the new Warners Brothers sitcom, RUN OF THE HOUSE, shot at Universal Studios (Stage 41). The show is rehearsed and pre-blocked before being taped in front of a (live) audience. Director of Photography is Paul Maibaum, Video Controller (shader) is Andy Dickerman, the Writer is Theresa Mulligan (episode 5 & 8) and Frank Lombardi (episode 6), and the Director is Bob Berlinger. Commercial ( September 14 to 16th, 2003 ):LEXUS Concept Car LS-X (24p High Definition Digital - F900 /3) Worked as the 24p High Definition Engineer (DIT) and on-set colorist with D.P., Michael Werk. The Client is Toyota, the Agency is Dentsu, Inc. (Japan), the production Company is AOI Advertising Promotion, Inc. (Japan) and Brentwood Productions (USA). One of the highlights of this production was shooting in the 2nd Street tunnel in Downtown L.A. Television Promo - Playboy Channel ( September 4th, 2003 ):SEVEN LIVES XPOSED 3 (24p High Definition Digital - F900 /3) Worked as the 24p High Definition Engineer (DIT) and on-set colorist with D.P., Rudy Harbon, shooting six High Definition promos on Hollywood Boulevard with A.J. Benza, who is the host of the "E! Mysteries & Scandals" Television Series. The six promos are for the SEVEN LIVES XPOSED "reality" series for the Playboy Channel. The production company is YARNBIRD Inc., the director is Timothy Edwards, and the line producer, Jennifer Russakoff. Feature Film ( August 30th, 31st and September 2nd, 6th, and December 7th, 2003 ):WOMAN THOU ART LOOSED (24p High Definition Digital - 2x HD Varicams) Worked as the 24p High Definition Engineer (DIT) for select days on a feature film shot with two High Definition Varicams (Panasonic AJ-HDC27F) coming from Clairmont Camera in Hollywood. Both camcorders shot with 35mm cine prime lenses and zooms using the P+S Technik Pro35 Digital Lens Adapter. One of the highlights of this production was a special day of shooting with four HD Varicams during the normal Sunday services held in the West Angeles Cathedral featuring a 160-person choir and electric band (amazing). The producer is Reuben Cannon, the director, Michael Schwartz, and the D.P. is Ray Peschke. Once they got up to speed, the production shot without a full-time DIT on board, except for some key days throughout the shoot. Commercials ( August 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 2003 ):SONY WEGA TELEVISION & SONY HANDICAM (24p High Definition Digital - F900 /3) Engineered two Sony commercials shot back to back at Universal Studios (Stage #25). The client is SONY of New Jersey, the agency is YOUNG & RUBICAM of New York (Ken Yagoda - executive producer) and the production company is PYTKA of Venice, California (Linda Masse - producer). The editor is Adam Liebowitz of GO ROBOT! in New York. The director / D.P. is the (infamous) Joe Pytka, one of the world's most acclaimed directors of commercials. (I'm happy to report that I survived the Joe Pytka experience relatively unscathed!!!) The products are the new Grand Wega television system, and an even newer digital "Mega Pixel" HANDICAM, the yet to released Sony model DSR-DVD200. No tape! ..... it records directly onto an 80mm mini-DVD-R recordable DVD disk (the 1.4GB disk can record 30 minutes of material). Commercials ( August 5th,6th,7th, 2003 ):TV GUIDE (24p High Definition Digital - 2x F900 /3) Had the great pleasure of working with D.P., Russell Carpenter, as his on-set colorist and 24p High Definition Engineer (DIT) on three commercials shot back to back for TV GUIDE. Producer is HUNGRY MAN Inc., with director, Bryan Buckley. The spots were entitled "Make-up Artist", "Wired" and "Edit Room" and are humorous little skit-type commercials, with brief little stories about the intrepid TV Guide reporters getting the scoop behind the scenes (almost like very short, short films). The location for the first two spots was the Paramount Studios backlot,and the final segment was shot on locations in Hollywood and Burbank. We shot with two Panavised F900 /3 "CineAlta" packages out of Panavision Woodland Hills. Commercials ( July 31, August 1st, 2003 ):BARBIE TOWN (24p High Definition Digital - F900 /3) Worked on a series of commercials for Mattel, including "Barbie Town", "Barbie - Creative Station" and "Barbie - Talkin Kitchen". The producers are Rancho Park Productions, and the director is Brad White. I worked as the 24p HD Engineer (DIT) with D.P., Andrew Turman in the Mattel Studios in El Segundo (in "Mattel Town" just south of LAX airport). Short Drama ( July 25/26/27, 2003 ):TURNING IT OVER (24p High Definition Digital - Varicam) This short drama is financed by Ben Affleck (as executive producer). We used the "new" P+S Technik Pro35 Digital Lens Adapter combined with a set of 35mm Zeiss Super Speeds (T1.3) on a High Definition Varicam (Panasonic AJ-HDC27F). It certainly makes it look much more like it was shot on 35mm film!!!!! And we went for a relatively extreme look, very stylized, with highly de-saturated colors. I co-D.P.'ed (Lighting Director) and did the HD engineering as well. The test of the pudding is in the eating, but I get the feeling that when this movie is projected onto a full-sized cinema screen, people will really think it was shot on 35mm film. The writer and director is Josh Marchette, and the producers are the dynamic Leda Maliga and Michael Totten. HD Test Shooting ( July 16 & 18, 2003 ):PLAYBOY STUDIOS (24p High Definition Digital - F900 /3) Worked at the new Playboy Studios in Los Angeles (3030 Andrita Street) engineering tests in High Definition of a cross section of their current shows. The Playboy company is seriously considering converting their entire studio complex over to High Definition in the near future. So I was part of a small High Definition crew (7 people) working alongside the regular studio crews, shooting whatever they were sending to air. We also shot various lighting, filter, and other technical test, for scrutiny by Playboy studio technicians and management. I worked as the 24p HD Engineer (DIT) with D.P., Rudy Harbon, and worked closely with Playboy's in house studio engineering consultant, Kelly Kotera. Television Show Opener ( July 14, 2003 ):THE SHARON OSBOURNE SHOW (24p High Definition Digital - F900 /3) Worked on making the opening (title) sequence for the new Sharon Osbourne Show. The opening sequence starred Sharon Osbourne and Ozzy Osbourne at their home in Beverly Hills. The idea is that the sequence will open the show each time it goes to air (and we did some variations so it wont always be exactly the same). I worked as the 24p HD Engineer (DIT) with French D.P., Rudy Harbon. The production company is Aerodrome Pictures, the producer is Joseph Le Beau, and the director is Jeb Brien. Tell you what ...... that Ozzy is a real character - amazing!!!!! And Sharon is a refreshing, bubbly personality. Not sure when her new show goes to air ....... I think it will be on every week-day on day-time television. I heard the first season was going to be 170 shows (phew!). Television Promo - ABC ( July 10, 2003 ):THE REAL ROSEANNE SHOW (24p High Definition Digital - F900 /3) Promo for the new Roseanne season called "The Real Roseanne Show" shot at Full Moon & High Tide Studios in El Segundo near LAX (owned by Roseanne). The producer of the promo was Proscenium Pictures in Beverly Hills, and the client was ABC On Air Promotions. My role was 24p High Definition Engineer (DIT) working with the French D.P., Rudy Harbon. The director is Brian Bain and the producer is Diana De Vries for Proscenium Pictures Ltd., Beverly Hills. The promo will be airing nationally on the ABC network. Info Commercial - Lexus ( June 16, 2003 ):LEXUS (Digital Betacam) Info commercial for the new Lexus model LS430. The final product will be a 7 minute promo video to be used by all the Toyota dealerships worldwide. My role was 24p High Definition Engineer (DIT) and on-set colorist working with D.P. / Director, Kevin Ward. US Producer is Allan Telias for Station Wagon Films of Santa Monica on behalf of Engine Film, Inc. (Japan) and Chiari Cook Company, Inc. (US). Commercial - Conoco/Phillips ( March 18 to April 2, 2003 ):ELEVATE (24p High Definition Digital) Director is Klaus Obermeyer, Producer is Lance O'Connor, the Production Company is AÉRO FILM with offices in Santa Monica, California. Location were Lake Charles in Louisiana (USA), plus Norway, and Scotland (shooting primarily on oil platforms in North Sea). My role was 24p High Definition Engineer (DIT) working with two Panavised CineAltas. Short Drama ( February 12 - February 16, 2003 ):THE SACRIFICE (24p High Definition Digital - Varicam) Director is Catherine Bruhier, the producers are John O'Rourke and Catherine Bruhier, the Production Company is Breaking Ground Productions. My role was 24p High Definition Engineer (DIT) working with the Panasonic Varicam. Documentary ( February 10, 2003 ):GM Hy-Wire Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Car Producer and Director is Geoff Holland of Cognizant Media Ltd. Location was Sacramento, California. My role was lighting cameraman. Feature "Film" ( October 15 - October 26, 2002 ):MAXIMUM THRUST Director is Paul Miller, the Producer is Randy Rowen, the Production Company is Indigo Entertainment Inc. My role was 24p High Definition Engineer (DIT) working with two CineAltas (from Wexler Video). I also supervised the color timing at Level 3 Post in Burbank. Feature "Film" ( 1st July to 24th July, 2002 ):INVISIBLE LIGHT (....aka 'She Doesn't Live Here Anymore') The story of the film is counterbalanced between two interrelated parts. The first part takes place in Los Angeles, and is centered around a Korean female student, Gah-in, who is studying in the US. She is having a sexual affair with a married man named, Jun. The second part is about Jun's wife, Do-hee, which takes place in Seoul, Korea. The writer / director is Gina Kim. The main female actors are Choi Yoon Sun who plays the character, Gah-in. And also Lee Sun Jin, who plays the character Do-hee. The production company is Picture Book Movies in the US (with some participation by Korean-based companies). The movie is designed for the Korean market (hopefully for theatrical release) and also for the world-wide festival circuit. It was shot in two parts. The second half was shot in Seoul, Korea in December, 2002. We shot with a PAL version of a Sony DSR 500 WS camcorder (from Plus 8 Video in L.A.). The final movie will be blown up to 35mm film at IO Film in Burbank (they are producing really great work lately). Interestingly, we are shooting the whole project virtually without any artificial lighting, but we are manipulating the naturally-occurring light, Nestor Almendros style. As you may know, Nestor Almendros is a famous D.P. that made these sorts of natural lighting techniques popular, including the concept of shooting in the magic hour (morning or evening twilight). In 1978, he received an Academy Award for DAYS OF HEAVEN using these techniques. INVISIBLE LIGHT has been invited to the VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, 2003. See photo/poster and story synopsis for INVISIBLE LIGHT in the Photo Gallery. Feature Film ( 4th November, 2001 to 30th May, 2002 ):"H" (....aka MURMURS) "H" is a psychological thriller (original title = "MURMURS"). It is a 35mm anamorphic feature film being shot for the Korean company, B.O.M. Film Productions Co. Ltd. which is a fairly a well-known company in this part of the world with a great reputation for box-office returns. The director is LEE Jong Hyuk, and the producer is RYU Jin-ok (who I've worked with before). The language of the film is Korean. Apart from the D.P., the cast and crew are entirely Korean. I arrived in Korea on 4th November for pre-production, and the shoot itself started just before Christmas (on 22nd December, 2001). They are planning a 6 month shoot through to about mid-June, 2002 ...... so a very, very long shoot. These extremely long shooting periods are becoming common with the larger-budget productions in Korea. Apparently, five or six months is normal for the bigger productions these days. My focus puller just came off a production ("Revelations of a Match Seller") that shot for 9 months more or less continuously (US $8 million budget), also shot here in Pusan. With additional shooting and pickups etc. they shot for a period over one year (about 15 months all together). We are shooting mostly in Pusan (or Busan = new spelling). Busan is a port city (pop. 4 million), and Korea's second largest city after Seoul (....it actually reminds me a little bit of Sydney where I used to live). And I guess Busan is now famous for the Air China 767 plane crash here recently. Other locations are Cheju Island and Kôje Island off the southern coast of South Korea. We have also shot a little bit in the capital, Seoul, as well. The production company in Korea had me bring (export/import) a camera and lens package from Los Angeles. The package includes a German Arriflex 535B as the "A" camera, a Russian Kinoflex as the "B" camera (to be used mainly for steadicam, car mounts, and hand-held shooting). The format of the movie is 35mm anamorphic. This is one of the few anamorphic features ever to be shot in Korea, and is certainly the first in several decades. For the lenses, we got a set of nine Russian ELITE anamorphic prime lenses (focal lengths are 25mm, 32mm, 40mm, 50mm, 75mm, 100mm,135mm, 180mm, 250mm [T2.2 - T3] and a 1.4x extender). These lenses are brand new to the scene, and I guess I'm one of the first features to road test them. I recently had the camera team calculate the proportional usage of each focal length, based on the first 60 days of the shoot. It is turning out that the 75mm lens is the most used focal length on the movie so far, closely followed by the 50mm. And generally speaking the longer lenses get much more use than the wider lenses. The third most used lens is the 100mm, very closely followed by the 180mm and 250mm. I have only used the 25mm lens a few times so far, and the 1.4x extender on the 250mm lens twice. We shy away from the 40mm as it seems to have the most distortion of the vertical lines (similar to the super-wide 25mm lens). The percentage of usage of each focal length, based on the first 60 days of the shooting, is as follows: 25mm (less than 1%), 32mm (3%), 40mm (1%), 50mm (24%), 75mm (25%), 100mm (14%), 135mm (10%), 180mm (11%), 250mm (10%), 250mm with 1.4 times extender (T4.5) (less than 1%) See publicity photos for "H" in the Photo Gallery. 24p HD Music Video ( August, 2001 ):AAILYAH - "Rock Da Boat" This project was shot in Miami and The Bahamas (Abaco Island). My role was working as the 24p HD Engineer using a Sony/Panavision F900 HD camera system and Digital Primo lenses. There are many D.P.'s, but almost no 24p HD Engineers right now. So I oscillate back and forth from D.P. to HD Engineer, as there is such an overwhelming demand for the 24p HD Engineering role right now (....it is a sort of second D.P. position anyway, or lots of overlap). And I'm becoming a bit of a specialists in the Panavised version of this system (i.e. the Lucas "Star Wars" camera). 24p HD Music Video ( August, 2001 ):SERA LYNN - "I Don't Need A Man" Working as the 24p HD Systems Engineer using a Sony/Panavision F900 HD camera system and Digital Primo lenses. Record label is NO LIMIT (owned by Master P) HD Short ( July, 2001 ):WESLAND Working as the 24p HD Systems Engineer using a Sony/Panavision F900 HD camera system and Digital Primo lenses. A visually style-ized short with lots of in-camera effects. I thought it would have a good chance of being picked up for the 2002 Sundance Festival, but they didn't get it finished by the submission deadline unfortunately. Maybe next year? HD Feature ( June/July, 2001 ):XTRACURRICULAR Worked as a technical advisor/consultant to the production, advising the Director of Photography, J.P. Lipa, who was shooting 24p HD for the first time. Location: Austin, Texas. Director: Timothy T. Cunningham and Producer: Jon R. Roland. Television Pilot ( May, 2001 ):LOVESTYLES Worked as the Technical Director, and Lighting Director, on a 5-camera, small-studio production. Documentary ( May, 2001 ):YARRABAH TEENAGERS (work title) Documentary about a group of Aboriginal teenagers visiting California from a Reserve in the (very deep) north of Queensland in Australia called Yarrabah. I've actually been to this Reserve about 19 years ago (in 1982) ......I had to be "smuggled" in there to screen some videos, but things have lightened up quite a lot these days. Feature Film (pick ups) ( May, 2001 ):SCREAMPLAY D.P. for some additional shooting on a feature. Shot with Vision SFX 200 film stock. HD Workshop ( December, 2000 ):MITAK Presented a two-day High Definition Camera workshop for MITAK (Motion Image Technology Association of Korea) on 7th and 8th December, 2000, in Seoul, Korea. HD Workshop ( October, 2000 ):DigitalEZ Presented a comprehensive High Definition Camera workshop at DigitalEZ in Pusan, Korea, plus other HD seminars (6th to 14th October, 2000) at an event called DigitalEZ held in conjunction with the Pusan International Film Festival. In recent years, this has now become the biggest Film Festival in Asia, with a huge attendance (including about 3000 international guests!!!). Screening ( August, 2000 ):SEE DICK DIE Presented the digital feature, See Dick Die, at Korea's first all-digital "film" festival, SeNef2000 (Seoul Net Festival) on 19th August, 2000 http://www.seedickdie.tv Documentary Production ( June / July, 2000 ):SOUL DEEPER A television special showing the whole process of making the latest, Jimmy Barnes, album recorded at Royaltone Studios in Los Angeles (Warner Brothers). Jimmy Barnes is a very well-known Australian singer (.... for those that don't know this artist). This album is a follow up to his very successful "Soul Deep" album. Digital Production ( May, 2000 ):NEWPORT MOTORS - Las Vegas Info-commercial shot on digital video Digital Production ( March, 2000 ):WHEN IT COUNTS (work title) Drama production for the AZUSA Pacific University shooting on D-9 (a.k.a Digital-S) using the new JVC DY-90WU (16:9) camcorder High Definition Production ( August/September/October, 1999 ):Several projects shot on High Definition Digital with the Sony HDW-700A camcorder, including INDECISION (comedy), a music video, and TOY ROBOTS (an effects-driven children's drama). Television Documentary ( 12th to 22nd September, with pickup shoot 29th October to 2nd November, 1999):THE GREAT BEAR RAINFOREST A one-hour documentary about the breathtaking beauty of coastal British Columbia's GREAT BEAR RAINFOREST, and its imminent destruction by the timber/lumber industry. The temperate rainforest on the West Coast of British Columbia in Canada has been characterized as the most biologically productive land on Earth! Thousand year old cedar trees, along with Douglas Fir, and Sitka Spruce nearly three hundred feet tall, reign over a landscape that is home to thousands of species of plants, birds, insects, and other animals. Streams that teem with salmon returning to spawn support well-fed populations of grizzly bears, orca, whales, black bears, and eagles. Only 0.2 percent of all the land on Earth ever supported temperate rainforest. HALF OF THAT IS ALREADY GONE. A quarter of what is left is in British Columbia. Of the province’s original 353 rainforest watersheds, only 69 are intact. What remains are under direct threat by commercial interests. Logging companies, armed with permits from the government responsible for British Columbia, intend to reap this natural resource by using totally-destructive, clear-cut logging techniques over the next 5-10 years. The forests are being logged primarily for export to the United States, Japan, and Europe. The Great Bear Wilderness, at two-million hectares, is the largest intact area of ancient temperate rainforest remaining in the world. A small but dedicated group of people working through a handful of grass-roots organizations are lined up against forces determined to destroy the integrity of this unique biological wellspring. RAINCOAST: A CANADIAN WILDERNESS JOURNAL tells the story. Through the eyes of the American actor, James Cromwell, we connect with the magnificent beauty of The Great Bear Wilderness. A rich coastal marine environment combined with a mild, humid climate makes this area a true natural paradise. We see splendid roaring waterfalls, meadows carpeted with wildflowers, moss-covered stands of ancient trees, and rocky unspoiled coastlines. From up close, we watch grizzlies, eagles, black bears, and a pack of grey wolves fatten themselves on salmon that fill watershed streams in Summer, and early Fall. We come to know the Kermode bear, also known as the Spirit Bear, a very rare sub-species of black bear that has white fur and can only be found in The Great Bear Rainforest. RAINCOAST will showcase this little known area which has never been more that sparsely populated. The First Nation people that have called the raincoast home for a thousand generations consider the land a sacred living temple, nature’s gift to humanity. RAINCOAST, a powerful instrument that will draw public attention to the remarkable natural beauty of The Great Bear Wilderness. RAINCOAST, a warning beacon revealing the imminent threat to one of Earth’s most important biological treasures. A Cognizant Media Production in cooperation with The Raincoast Conservation Society shot on location in The Great Bear Rainforest. Produced by Geoffrey Holland and Marc Griffith
"We do not inherit this land from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." Haida Indian Saying: "Four billion trees are cut every year to make paper products... We have the technology to reduce our wood consumption by 75-90%... " Ian McAllister. Feature Film ( December,1998 ):SEE DICK DIE An independently produced feature film by Doug Deluca of I. A. Cinema in Los Angeles. Executive producers are Brett Tabor and John T Loos III, and it is co produced by Miles Austin Forman. The writer/director is Elvis Restaino, whose recent projects as writer/director include BLOODSPORT IV: The Dark Kumite (1998), and the feature film, SINBAD, a Monty Python-esque, fantasy, F/X filled, adventure drama, largely shot in Bulgaria (the film had a general release in Europe). The principal photography was completed in February, 1999 (and co-shot by Mark Woods). There are many interesting aspects to this project, for example, we shot on digital video (DV format) using the new Canon XL 1 camcorder, and will probably be blowing up to 35mm film for distribution (hopefully). We went for a strong Film Noir look, and I lit simultaneously for both black and white and color (it is intended for release in both B&W and colour versions). The film is fundamentally a psychological thriller, but has shades of several genre. One of the characters is based (loosely) on the controversial, Dr. Jack Kevorkian, or "Dr Death" well known in the U.S. (a doctor who assists terminally ill people die through euthanasia). The doctor videos the event, and one of his clients was shown dying on the 60 minutes current affairs show on national American television, a "crime" for which he was later convicted. SYNOPSIS:The story has many twists and turns between its four main characters. Karen wants to leave her husband for "another woman". The other woman, Monica, is a former drug addict rescued from an almost certain death on the streets of Los Angeles. However their plan to be together becomes complicated when Karen learns that her husband is terminally ill with cancer. She now feels obliged to stay with him until the bitter end. Meanwhile her husband, Ricky, asks a Dr. Schreck for an assisted suicide (euthanasia) scheduled to occur on his birthday. After the husband's passing, life becomes idyllic for the two woman. Moreover, there is the promise of the imminent arrival of a large inheritance of 3 million dollars left by her husband. But the creepy Dr Schreck wont go away, and keeps appearing in the two women's lives. Schreck secretly drugs Monica in order to discredit her in Karen's eyes, which leads to a catastrophic ending of their relationship. Then on the day the inheritance money arrives, the characters converge one last time. Only one of them walks away ..... with the money. A psychological thriller with a rich tapestry of images and sounds ...... a conceptual tour de force. The film is currently in "Festival pre-release". The premiere was in the Robert DeNiro Theater at the Tribecca Film Center on 17th September, 1999, as part of the New York International Independent Film Festival. It was also shown at the Fort Lauderdale Film Festival on 6th November, 1999, and at the SeNef2000 Digital Festival in Soul, South Korea on 18th August, 2000. The film has been subsequently re-edited with a new sound mix and the "film look" process added. Production details, including cast and crew list, can be seen on the Internet Movie Data Base via this direct link: http://us.imdb.com/Details?0205388 And here is a link to the ("very cool") See Dick Die web site: http://www.seedickdie.tv Feature Film ( November 1997 to February 1998 ):SENTIMENTAL EDUCATION The film is based on (really, inspired by) the French Book, L'EDUCATION SENTIMENTALE, by Gustave Flaubert. The story revolves around the present-day lives of a group of international fashion models, focusing on the main character, Fabrice. The film examines the hollowness of his glamorous lifestyle, leading to self discovery and ultimately a personal catharsis (and his own death). The director is the American, Christian Leigh, now based in Paris and Copenhagen. The producer is WILDSHOT PICTURES (Alec Behrens and Marijn Muijser) in Amsterdam. The stars are French actors (Isabel Carre, Clement Sibony, Julie Gayet) together with top Dutch actors (Thom Hoffman, Antonie Kamerling, Roland Fernhout), and several British actors in the film's many and varied roles. The Canadian-based actor, Arsinee Khanjian, from Atom Agoyan's EXOTICA also plays in the film. The language of the film is (mostly) English throughout. Camera equipment included Moviecam Super America Mark II and Arriflex BL IV, film stock is Kodak Vision 500T (5279), and the lab is Bucks Laboratories in London. I worked as both the Director of Photography and Camera Operator, 1st A.C. / Focus Puller is Tom Lewis from Los Angeles, dolly grip is Andre Plug, and the gaffers are Stefan Bijnen and Willem Nagtglas. The editor is Katherine Quesmand in Paris, a veteran of several films from Truffaut and Godard. Principal photography wrapped on 23rd February, 1998. No release date has been set. Master Class - Directing ( December, 1997 ):MAURITS BINGER FILM INSTITUTE Cinematography tutor in the Master Class Directing workshop at the MAURITS BINGER FILM INSTITUTE in Amsterdam. The BINGER is an international school for training writers, producers, and directors. The main tutor overseeing the project, MIKE HODGES, is a well-known Hollywood writer and director from the U.K. ...... he directed PRAYER FOR THE DYING in 1988, (with Micky Rourke, Bob Hoskins, Alan Bates and Sami Davis), and also FLASH GORDON (1980), which did extremely well at the box office. His other films include BLACK RAINBOW, GET CARTER, PULP and TERMINAL MAN. My principal job was shooting 7 different projects for different writer / director teams and acting as a co-tutor on the cinematography side of things in conjunction with Mike Hodges.
Peter Gray
|
