Exposure: Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott’s extraordinary sense of visuals was clear from the start. In 1977, he made a big splash in the film industry with The Duellists. Based on a Joseph Conrad story and set in the Napoleonic era, the film was nominated for the Palme d’Or and earned Best First Work at the Cannes Film Festival, and BAFTA and BSC nominations for cinematographer Frank Tidy, BSC. For Scott, it was a case of an overnight sensation, a dozen years in the making: the filmmaker, who grew up in a military family and possessed an M.A. in graphic design from the Royal College of Art, had already revolutionized the advertising industry, having directed thousands of television commercials dating back to the early 1960s. Scott brought an artist’s eye and a storyteller’s passion for detail to the craft of selling with images, and his first stab at the big screen turned out to be a harbinger; his next film, Alien, changed the sci-fi genre, if not the entire film industry, forever. Scott followed that up with Blade Runner, one of the most influential films in cinema history in so many areas, first and foremost its cinematography by Jordan Cronenweth, ASC. Right through to his newest work, Robin Hood, the director/producer’s work continually displays the scale and grandeur of epic cinema. David Heuring caught up with Scott to probe his thoughts about cinema lighting, his roots in commercials, and his feeling about new digital technologies. (Hint: if the term “old school master” comes to mind, Scott would brook no quarrel.)
Wind Killer from California Sunbounce
“The Steadicam is a well-balanced camera support system that’s extremely sensitive to any kind of outside influences,” says Peter Geller, President, California SunBounce. “The balancing of the system is a precise procedure. You can imagine what the wind can do. In the past different types of wind blocks have been used. A 6-by-6 frame with a solid, or 4-by-8 foam core boards – having a camera assistant keep pace with the Steadicam operator to continuously protect the system from the wind. What they learned in the past was that the wind you block piles up on the edges and creates even more turbulence behind the object intended to block the wind.”
Enter California SunBounce’s team with a specially designed material called Wind Killer, which does not block all the wind – just 75 percent. “It is designed to let 25 percent of the wind pass (a light and even breeze) and uses this 25 percent to smooth out the wind before it hits the camera,” Geller explains. “The material is also semi-translucent and allows the assistant to look through and see the Steadicam operator and where he or she wants to go.”
The screen is sized to fit the California SunBounce MINI and PRO frames, making it an extremely lightweight and sturdy system (4.4 pounds/2000 grams) for the 4×6 Pro model – with three built in handles. On special request, the material can be custom made for up to a 20×20 foot overhead/Butterfly frame.
The price for the Wind Killer starts at $317 for the mini to $475 for the PRO, includes fabric and frame.
www.bronimaging.com
Glidecam X-22
Want to go up and down stairs, shoot from moving vehicles and travel over uneven terrain without any camera instability or shake? Then check out Glidecam’s new X-22 system. “It’s a professional, body-mounted, camera stabilization system designed for film and video cameras weighing up to 25 pounds,” explains Glidecam’s Thomas Howie, who describes the product as a game changer due to its versatile, affordable footprint.
Glidecam X-22 consists of Vest, Support Arm and Sled. The Support vest has been designed with both endurance and comfort. Weight is evenly distributed so that the operator’s shoulders, back and hips don’t suffer under extended use. For safety Glidecam has incorporated quick release high impact buckles that allow for quick removal should the occasion arise. “It also has a unique and proprietary Arm-to-Vest Connector that allows the Support Arm to be attached and removed from the vest without affecting the operator’s trim settings,” Howie explains.
The Dual-Articulating Support Arm incorporates precision radial bearings and needle roller bearings for minimal friction, allowing the arm to pivot and boom smoothly with virtually no noise. “We use four high-quality titanium extension springs which act upon internal fulcrum points to provide the arm with lifting power,” Howie continues. “They are field adjustable to allow for varying camera weights. And, we use our Light-Force technology so the operator has an optimum amount of camera buoyancy or float.”
The third part of the system is the X-22 sled with an x-y adjustable head assembly that incorporates drop-in style dovetail camera play for quick front to back balance. Howie says it’s a “no-tools gimbal with four bearings inside the handle yoke connection (tilt axis) and two bearings in each side for the roll axis. The no tools Telescoping Center Post allows for easy adjustment of sled length and position of the LCD and battery.”
The Glidecam X-22 sells for $7900
www.glidecam.com
Black and White In Color
May 17, 2010 by editor
Filed under Web Exclusives
Behind the unique lighting approach of the Oscar nominated The White Ribbon with Christian Berger, AAC. By Bob Fisher
If It’s Digital, They Will Come…
May 17, 2010 by editor
Filed under Web Exclusives
Atlanta Mega Digital Summit Keeps Industry Trends Front and Center. By Valentina I. Valentini
Song Of The Forest
John Mathieson, BSC battles the elements to bring Ridley Scott’s Dark Ages epic, Robin Hood, out into the sunlight. By Bob Fisher
ICG May 2010
FEATURES
ROBIN HOOD
DP John Mathieson, BSC
By Bob Fisher
SEX AND THE CITY 2
DP John Thomas
By Ryan Stewart
LED ROUND-UP
By Pauline Rogers
GAFFERS’ FAVORITE TOOLS
By Pauline Rogers
FASTFORWARD
DP Jeff Jur, ASC and Nelson Cragg
By Matt Hurwitz
EXPOSURE: Ridley Scott
DEEP FOCUS: Ellen Kuras, ASC
FLASH FRAME: Oscar Dominguez
GEAR GUIDE: Lighting Focus
REPLAY: Henry’s Crime
KEYLIGHT: 47th Annual Publicists Awards
