Exposure: Emma Thomas
Emma Thomas met Christopher Nolan while they were both students majoring in English literature at University College in London, England, and they were married during their last year at the school. Hardcore film buffs, Thomas and Nolan organized a film society and arranged screenings of classic movies for their fellow students; then used the money they earned from selling tickets to produce a 16 mm black-and-white film (Following), which premiered at the 1999 Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. While in Park City, they saw The Hi-Line, over at the Sundance Festival, and made it a point to find the film’s cinematographer, Wally Pfister, ASC. Thus began a creative partnership that would stretch over the breadth of Thomas and Nolan’s career – Memento, Insomnia, Batman Begins, The Prestige, The Dark Knight – and their latest effort, Inception. Read more
ICG August 2010
FEATURES
THE SWITCH
DP Jess Hall
By Ryan Stewart
2010 PRODUCT GUIDE:
CAPTURE by Pauline Rogers
LIGHTING by Pauline Rogers
SUPPORT by Pauline Rogers
STILLS / DSLR by Jon Silberg
DISPLAY by Debra Kaufman
WORKFLOW by Carolyn Giardina
Shooting Gallery 2010
Somewhere, Out There
When we asked Local 600 photographers to submit work for our Shooting Gallery spread, the only requirement was that the image be shot on location. Anywhere, anytime, anyplace, as long as it told a story about that singular time and place captured through the lens. The results were so astonishing that a winnowing down (to the 22 images contained in these pages) was fiendishly tough. The moment before young lovers kiss transforms an iconic backdrop into something fresh and magical; a stunned glance from a son to his father, as a man, stripped naked of far more than his clothes cowers in “the road” behind them; a century-old Gothic prison echoes the stark melancholy of an inmate, head down, and focused on his task. Images and moments, like all the others in this spread that throb with power, mystery, joy and drama. Somewhere, out there, if you go looking, you’ll find these places. But it took a photographer with a still camera to flesh them out in just a single frame. Read more
Exposure: Steve Ritzi
Stunt coordinator and 2nd Unit director Steve Ritzi grew up around boats on Florida’s Intracoastal Waterway on the Atlantic coast. In 1989 he auditioned for and won a role in the stunt boat show at Universal Studios Orlando. At the time, Florida ’s film and television industry was booming, and Ritzi decided he wanted to learn more about stunts. Fortunately, veteran stuntman Glenn Wilder had moved from Los Angeles to Florida, and Ritzi began attending informal training sessions in Wilder’s backyard where scaffolding had been erected so they could practice falls, and, of course, fights. Ritzi also attended a driving seminar held by another veteran stuntman, Wally Crowder, and soon found himself heading over to Orlando-area soundstages, resume and headshots in hand, to introduce himself to the stunt coordinators. The result has been a stellar career in Hollywood’s action game that has included executing physical “gags” on dozens of films – Passenger 57, The Patriot, Bad Boys II, Transporter 2, Body of Lies, Zombieland among them – while also adding stunt coordinator and second unit director credits to his resume on a number of films, most recently, Jonah Hex. Read more
Two F-Stops Forward
July 2, 2010 by editor
Filed under Web Exclusives
A current snapshot of Union Labs and the Still Lab Technicians of Local 683. By Braden Wright
Darkest Nights
Wally Pfister, ASC, and Christopher Nolan implode cinematic boundaries again for their dreamy new thriller, Inception. By Bob Fisher Read more
ICG July 2010
FEATURES
INCEPTION
DP Wally Pfister
By Bob Fisher
PREDATORS
DP Gyula Pados
By Ted Elrick
SHOOTING GALLERY 2010
On Location
GREAT LOCATIONS
By Pauline Rogers
ECA AWARDS: THEN & NOW
By Jim Matlosz
EXPOSURE: Emma Thomas
DEEP FOCUS: Frank Masi
ON LOCATION: Michigan
UNSCRIPTED: Phil Bray / Ernie Malik
Sell Through Heroes: Part II
June 15, 2010 by editor
Filed under Web Exclusives
Complete Coverage of Local 600 Publicist Awards by Pauline Rogers
Read more
Remembering Billy
William A. Fraker, ASC, BSC recently passed on at the age of 86, following a long and courageous battle with cancer. Here Bob Fisher lovingly remembers his longtime friend and colleague. Read more
The Wild Bunch
Mitchell Amundsen and crew capture horses, ironclads, and all that jazz for the New Orleans shot sci-fi Western Jonah Hex. By Ted Elrick
