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A PUBLIC ATION OF THE C ANADIAN SOCIET Y OF CINEMATOGRAPHERS
Canadian Publications Mail
Product Sales Agreement No. 478423
December 2005
Volume 25, No. 4
The Eye Behind the Action
Rodney Charters csc asc
Opens the Door on 24
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
PRESIDENT'S REPORT: Merry Christmas!
AWARDS: Rogers, Couture Win Geminis
ON CAMERA: Banovich and the HDC27F
LARGE FORMAT: Reeve Flies IMAX
NEWS CLIPS: New DVX100B and More . . .
volume 25, No. 4
December 2005
The Canadian Society of Cinematographers was
founded in 1957 by a group of Toronto, Montreal
and Ottawa cameramen. Since then over 800
cinematographers and persons in associated
occupations have joined the organization.
Our members now represent the film and
video community in all ten provinces. Our aim
continues to be to promote and foster the cause of
cinematography and the interests of the Canadian
film and video community.
We facilitate the dissemination and exchange
of technical information, and endeavor to advance
the knowledge and status of our members within the
industry. As an organization dedicated to furthering
technical assistance, we maintain contact with nonpartisan groups in our industry, but have no political
or union affiliation.
CSC EXECUTIVE
President: Joan Hutton csc
Vice-President: Richard Stringer csc
Treasurer: Joseph Sunday phd
Secretary: Antonin Lhotsky
Membership: Philip Earnshaw csc
Publicity: Nikos Evdemon csc
Education: Ernie Kestler
Director Ex-Officio: George Willis csc sasc
Membership inquiries: 416-266-0591
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Contents
2 - President’s Report
- Merry Christmas
1 4-
Cover Story
Rodney Charters shoots 24
9 - Awards
- Gemini Winners
10 - On Camera
- John Banovich on the HDC27F
12 - Large Format
- William Reeve flies IMAX
10
16 - News Clips
- DVX100B Under the Tree
20 - Action Production Notes
- CSC Calendar
CSC OFFICE
Canadian Society of Cinematographers
Executive Director: Susan Saranchuk
3007 Kingston Road Suite 131
Toronto, Ontario M1M 1P1
Tel 416-266-0591 Fax 416-266-3996
email: [email protected]
Editor: Donald Angus (416) 699-9149
email: [email protected]
Editor-in-Chief: Joan Hutton csc
CSC NEWS is a publication of the Canadian Society of
Cinematographers. CSC NEWS is printed in Toronto and
is published ten times a year. Subscriptions are
available for $75.00 per year in Canada and
$95.00 per year outside the country. Canadian
Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement No. 478423.
4
12
Visit: www.csc.ca
COVER PHOTOS: TM & © Fox and its related entities
president’s report
Joan Hutton csc
Merry Christmas to All,
and to All a Good Year
I
don't know how it got to be this
time of year again so fast, but another Christmas season has arrived.
Thankfully, this Christmas brings a lot
more joy to the Canadian film and television community than the previous
couple or three, and our thoughts are
with those who were forced to leave the
business when things got so tough for a
while. We hope they have found or will
find their way back to the industry.
We extend our special best wishes to
the families of CSC and other industry
members who passed away this past year,
such as Bob Brooks csc and Richard
2 • CSC News
/
December 2005
Leiterman csc. We hope Christmas
brings you peace and comfort.
Statistics never tell the whole story,
but figures from the Ontario Media
Development Corp. show that the total
number of productions, both foreign
and domestic, shot in the province in
2004 rose to 934.5, equal to the 1999
level, from 874.1 in 2003, which was
the lowest since 1998. We're optimistic
that those numbers will be even higher
by the end of this year, perhaps even
close to the record high of 1011.2 in
2000. That's what I want for Christmas
this year.
Another Yuletide wish is for a
healthy home-grown feature film market to compete more strongly with the
flood of American productions filling
our theatres. Signs of growth, while
small, are good, says Wayne Clarkson,
executive director of Telefilm Canada.
In remarks to the Standing Committee
on Canadian Heritage in Ottawa on
Nov. 17, Clarkson said:
“On the upside: our news is good.
We have a growth success story to
report. . . . The goal of the Canada feature film fund is to support Canadian
filmmakers and help them achieve a 5per-cent domestic share by 2006. I am
delighted to be able to report that, as
of June, 2005, we have already won and maintained - at least a 5-per-cent
market share. And this has been
achieved at a time when overall movie
attendance is in decline.
“In 2004, the total box office takings in Canada shrank by 4 per cent on
the 2003 figures. Nevertheless, during
the same period, box office returns for
Canadian films went in the opposite
direction and grew by 20 per cent.
Despite showing on one screen to every
14 screens showing Hollywood productions, and despite having limited marketing and promotional budgets - comparatively, Canadian films are doing a
better job of attracting audiences than
the competition. The message is that
Canadians want to see themselves on
screen!”
There are challenges ahead, Clarkson
cautioned, but his forecast was generally
sunny. He cited the recent release of
Deepa Metha's feature Water, “to great
critical acclaim and wonderful (opening)
weekend box office numbers. We have a
hit on our hands! With more hits to
come - Maurice Richard, Trailer Park
Boys, Bon Cop/Bad Cop.”
He also could have mentioned the
recent films from Canadian stalwarts
Atom Egoyan, David Cronenberg and
Clement Virgo, Where the Truth Lies, A
History of Violence and Lie with Me respectively. And then there's the Quebec
smash C.R.A.Z.Y. from director JeanMarc Vallée, which is surely headed to
the Oscars as Canada's entry in the best
foreign language film category.
In his speech, Clarkson went on to
say that “a viable, competitive national
movie industry is meaningless without a
depth of high calibre skills right across
the board. We now have a powerhouse
of diverse talents - with justly deserved
international reputations - that attract
foreign productions to come and film in
Canada. The tax breaks help, certainly:
but, were the talent not there, tax breaks
alone would not bring them - and their
millions of dollars - to Canada.”
That includes us, folks, and on
that note, the CSC executive and staff
join me in wishing you a very Merry
Christmas, and a prosperous Happy
New Year! •
cover story
Rodney Charters csc asc
24: The Eye Behind the Action
'The series sets a whole new benchmark
for everyone in both TV and film'
By Solange De Santis
F
ox-TV's secret-agent thriller 24, starring Kiefer
Using an inspired structure - each one-hour episode con-
Sutherland, has more cliffhangers than a Perils of
tains action that takes place within that hour, say, midnight
Pauline serial, but it's not just the what-will-hap-
to 1 a.m., and commercial breaks are bracketed by a digital
pen-next factor in the scripts that has viewers tuning in.
clock counting off the seconds - 24 covers various crises in
The tense, edgy feel of the show, starting its fifth season
the life and career of Jack Bauer (Sutherland), a special
next month, is largely propelled by the work of Rodney
agent with the fictional Counter-Terrorism Unit (CTU) in
• see page 6
Photo: TM & © Fox and its related entities
Charters csc asc.
Kiefer Sutherland plays Jack Bauer, a special agent with the fictional Counter-Terrorism Unit (CTU) in Los Angeles.
4 • CSC News
/
December 2005
Photo: TM & © Fox and its related entities
Rodney Charters csc asc has opened the door for new techniques that give Fox-TV's secret-agent
thriller 24 the tense, edgy feel that has become the hit series' signature look.
6 • CSC News
/
December 2005
• from page 4
Los Angeles. The first season concerned an assassination plot against
an African-American presidential candidate and took place within the
24 hours of the day of the California
presidential primary.
Apart from the pilot, which was
photographed by Peter Levy asc, and
three episodes he directed (shot by
Guy Skinner and Jeff Mygatt),
Charters has been director of photography for all five seasons. This
year, he was nominated for an Emmy
for Outstanding Cinematography for
a Single-Camera Series for episode
23, “5:00 AM - 6:00 AM.”
Since the plots are fairly complex
and pile intrigue upon intrigue,
Charters uses handheld cameras,
unusual angles, out-of-focus shots
and constant movement to build tension. “Kiefer regards Guy (Skinner,
the handheld camera operator) as
another actor in the scene. If Guy's
timing is off, it throws Kiefer off,”
said Charters in a phone interview
from Los Angeles.
The New Zealand native divides his
time between California and home
base in Port Hope, Ont., where all
three of his children attended Trinity
College School. His wife Gillian, having seen the last child off to university, also splits her time between Port
Hope and Los Angeles.
In a career that's ranged across New
Zealand, Great Britain, Canada and
the U.S., Charters finds he is using on
24 many of the skills developed in
documentary and feature-film work.
Last season, he stepped into the digital
world by using the Panavision Genesis
digital video camera for some scenes.
“We believed we could achieve
greater realism in night photography,”
he said, citing the 2004 feature
Collateral, shot by Dion Beebe and
Paul Cameron. That film, “shot in
high-def using Sony and Grass Valley
(Thomson) cameras, captured great
detail on availably-lit streets.” So
Charters decided to try the Genesis for
an extended night sequence on 24 in
downtown Los Angeles, featuring a
showdown between Sutherland and
the bad guys.
“We used the Genesis for the
last two episodes,” shooting a roof
Photo: TM & © Fox and its related entities
Another problem, he said, was that
although the digital camera does
amazing work in resolution and colorimetry, “it needs to have its exposure controlled all the time. It can't
compete with film when it comes to
exposure, at least compared with the
amazing latitude of the Kodak film I
have used for the last couple of years.”
Charters loads his two Millennium
XL cameras with Kodak Vision2 500T
Expression (5229) stock, which the
DOP said he loves for its enormous
latitude in finding detail in the shadows and highlights. “One of my
secret weapons is that I never have to
worry about the overexposure of
highlights. I use this stock exclusively. One of the issues for a show like
ours is that we're not fill-lighting as
much as we might. I need the film to
get the information for me. Since so
much off-axis coverage is shot simultaneously by the multiple cameras, I
need help from the film.”
The unique style of 24 has attracted some highly-placed fans. Recent
visitors to the set included Senator
John McCain, who gave a boxed set
of 24 on DVD to President Bush, directors William Friedkin and Frank
Darabont and Rick McCallum, producer of Star Wars who said that Lucas is
a fan. In a letter to Charters last
October, McCallum congratulated him
“for really accomplishing the most
extraordinary work that's being done
in television. The series looks great
and what you and Guy are doing sets
• see page 8
Behind the scenes on 24, DOP Rodney Charters
csc asc poses with star Jean Smart, who plays
First Lady Martha Logan on an upcoming episode
next month.
Photo: TM & © Fox and its related entities
sequence that took two nights and
another scene at the CTU set. “The
advantage this camera has over its
smaller-chipped rivals is that it has
one full-sized chip covering the same
image area as our existing super
35mm film gate. This allowed us to
use our existing lens package of
Primo 11 to 1 and 3 to 1. We simply,
in a matter of minutes, removed our
Panavision Millennium XL body
and substituted the Genesis. The
same lens, same follow focus; it just
swapped over effortlessly and we
started to shoot on the same sets
alongside our other two XL bodies.
“The depth of field is exactly the
same (as film),” he noted. However,
“the Genesis chip, with its huge capture array, turned out to be less sensitive to low light than the smaller 2/3inch chip.”
The Genesis was used as a third
camera, and 30 shots were used in the
final edit, he said. “We took it apart,
separated the Sony SRW recorder from
the body, making it very compact, put
it in a helicopter and shot for 18 minutes straight. It's got a one-hour load
versus our three-perf film's 400-foot
magazine with only six minutes (in
the handheld camera).
“One of the major benefits for a
filmmaker using digital is the long
running time (one hour) per cassette.
It gives you the ability to run the camera and never switch it off, to keep the
cast in the scene and in the moment.
With film, you frequently need to reload, the actors relax, and you have to
get them back up to pitch again.”
That said, 24 won't be turning
digital in the future. “24 suits film,
and so we elected not to go with the
Genesis. A major consideration was
the lack of an optical viewfinder. Guy
Skinner, my A-camera operator, whips
and pans aggressively as he follows the
action, and the digital viewfinder
lagged behind disconcertingly. Guy
felt that he was suddenly an observer,
having been taken out of the scene by
this delay. He was no longer able to
commit confidently to the precise timing of his tags and hand-offs as he followed the dialogue and the action.
“I hope the second generation of
Genesis will have an optical 'finder,”
Charters added.
In a scene from a future episode of 24, CTU agent Jack Bauer leaves a crime scene where he has
found the body of a colleague.
CSC News / December 2005 •
7
• from page 7
a whole new benchmark for everyone
in both TV and film.”
Among the techniques that give 24
its signature look: dividing the screen
into boxes to refer to simultaneous
action; crossing the 180-degree line
between two characters; “tagging,” or
focusing on an important item such as a
cell phone, then whipping
away to an actor's face,
then focusing on a different object and using the
“dirty over,” a shot over an
actor's shoulder that might
include a blurry bit of shirt.
The DOP said he tries
“to give the impression that you (the
audience) are an observant participant
in the action as it unfolds.”
Charters said he is applying the
documentary training he acquired
early in his career to his work on 24.
“To be a documentary shooter is to do
a delicate dance between you and the
subject. You want to get the viewer to
see what you felt was important.”
In television, he noted, “traditional
dramas lock down the actors much
more rigidly (than 24). It's also due to
lighting. If you start to revolve the
camera in a 360-degree environment,
it cannot by its nature be so well-lit. A
key light becomes a back cross in the
same shot because your A-camera has
done a 180-degree track and then
there's the B-camera and maybe the Ccamera to consider. In documentaries,
you have to examine the environment
and sometimes there's not appropriate
light, but you just have to do it,” he
said. “I rely heavily on my colourist at
Level 3, Larry Field, to help me out.”
Growing up in New Plymouth,
N.Z., about 100 miles from Auckland,
Charters tagged along with his father,
a still photographer who served as a
Ivory on Biography of a Princess with
James Mason.
Charters was in the U.S. after graduation, trying to sell a documentary
about the singing group Seals and
Crofts, when he was urged by an
acquaintance to “come to Toronto;
there's lots of work.” He came into
Canada as a visitor and “I got a job and
a visa.” Several years of
work in Canadian television followed. On the CTV
public-affairs
program,
W5, “I found myself in
Northern Ireland with Ron
Stannett csc, doing the
documentary The Week
after Bloody Sunday.” Charters was working in sound and editing - but “I needed to shoot. Finally Michael Maclear
gave me my break as a cinematographer
on W5.”
His first feature film work was on
Youngblood in 1986 and Charters has
subsequently lensed Car 54, Where Are
You? Kull the Conqueror and The Intern.
While doing work in Vancouver,
Charters was chosen to DOP the television series Nash Bridges in 1996.
Before 24, he worked as DOP or director on Roswell, The Pretender and
Hercules and has shot more than a
dozen TV movies.
'You want to get the
viewer to see what you
felt was important'
8 • CSC News
/
December 2005
photo reconnaissance technician for
the Royal New Zealand Air Force during World War II. “He came back with
an amazing scrapbook,” noted his
son. Dad also belonged to a film society that shot some dramas in 16mm,
and he filmed Queen Elizabeth II's
visit to New Plymouth in 1954, producing a 40-minute documentary
which was screened in the cinema the
following week.
After graduating from the University
of Auckland with a B.A. in art history,
Charters made a film with his father's
16mm Bolex that got him into the
Royal College of Art in London. From
1968 to 1971, Charters revelled in
swinging London, working one summer at the BBC, doing commercials
under directors Tony Scott and Ridley
Scott and working the boom for James
(For additional reading, see Film
& Video at www.studiodaily.com/filmandvideo/search/?searchType=basic
&query=rodney+charters) •
awards
Rogers, Couture Among
2005 Gemini Winners
Canada “Legacy - Part 1”; Paul Seeler,
fifth estate “First, Do No Harm”;
Richard Agecoutay, No Glory
Documentary Program or Series:
Jay
Ferguson,
Animals;
John
Westheuser, Douglas Pike, Bunny
and Leona; Christopher Ball csc,
Robert MacDonald, Diet of Souls;
John Westheuser, Shake Hands With
The Devil: The Journey of Roméo Dallaire
For direction, Pierre Gill csc was
nominated in the Dramatic Program
or Mini-Series category for The Last
Casino.
Four CSC shooters were nominated
in the three photography categories of
the Prix Gémeaux, presented by
l'Académie canadienne du cinéma et
de la television on Dec. 4 in Montreal.
Winners will be published in the
January issue of CSC News.
La liste des finalistes:
Meilleure
direction
photographique - dramatique : Bruce
Chun csc, L'Héritière de grande ourse
« Épisode 4 » ; Jérôme Sabourin, Le
Négociateur «Un vent de liberté» ;
Jérôme Sabourin, Minuit, le soir
«Épisode 1» ; Nathalie MoliavkoVisotzky, Nos Étés «Épisode 4» ;
Ronald Plante csc, Temps dur
«Bobino?!?»
Meilleure
direction
photographique - documentaire, affaires
publiques, reportage, biographie :
Claudine Sauvé, 7KM2 d'infini ; Philippe
Lavalette, De Mémoire de chats - les ruelles
; Stefan Nitoslawski csc, L'Empire du
sucre «Épisode 2» ; Philippe Lavalette, La
Griffe magique ; Derek Vertongen, SIDA:
Le Tueur en série
Meilleure
direction
photographique ou éclairage - humour,
variétés, arts de la scène, talk show :
Éric C. Lapointe, Belle et bum «Épisode
42» ; Daniel Jobin csc, Circa ; Alex
Margineanu, Élégie ; Claude Benoît,
Normand Chassé, Jour de plaines ;
Pierre-Simon Mainville, Tout le monde
en parle «Épisode 18»
All Gemini Award and Prix Gémeaux
cinematography nominees receive the
Kodak Spectrum Award. •
Photo: Richard Stringer csc
D
erek Rogers csc and Bernard
Couture csc were winners at
the 20th annual Gemini
Awards in Toronto last month. The
awards, presented by the Academy of
Canadian Cinema and Television, celebrate outstanding achievement in
Canadian English-language television.
Rogers won in the category of Best
Photography in a Documentary
Program or Series for Shipbreakers
(see CSC News, March/2004), while
Couture took home the Gemini in
Best Photography in a Dramatic
Program or Series for The Last Casino.
Other winners were Ian Hannah in
Best Photography in an Information
Program or Series for Past Life
Investigation “Natasha”; and Rick
McVicar in Best Photography in a
Comedy, Variety or Performing Arts
Program or Series for Puppets Who
Kill, “Cuddles the Manchurian
Candidate”.
Another CSC member was a winner
in a director's role. Henry Less csc won
Best Direction in a Lifestyle/Practical
Information Program or Series for his
Made to Order “The Apprentice”.
Four other CSC members earned
nominations in the four photography
categories of this year's Gemini Awards:
Dramatic Program or Series: Jean
Lepine, A Bear Named Winnie; Chris
Seager bsc, Sex Traffic - Part 1; Norayr
Kasper csc, The Death and Life of Nancy
Eaton; David Frazee csc, The Life
Comedy, Variety or Performing
Arts Program or Series: Horst Zeidler,
Beethoven's Hair; Réal Truchon, Canada
Day 2004: Merci Montréal; Jean-Pierre
Saint-Louis, Naked Josh “Celibacy”;
Steve Cosens, Show Me Yours “Chapter
One”; Christopher Romeike, The Four
Seasons Mosaic
Information Program or Series:
Aldo Columpsi, Ted Hilbig - CBC,
Saskatchewan: Football First: The Roy
Shivers Story; Jim Nilson, Country
CSC Associate Robert MacDonald of Toronto
receives a Kodak Spectrum Award from Rhonda
Lockwood of Kodak Canada Entertainment
Imaging. Looking on is Kim Snyder, vice-president
of Kodak Canada EI and host of the Spectrum
Award dinner in Toronto last month. Kodak
Spectrum Awards are presented to all nominees
for the four Gemini photography awards.
Henry Less csc won the Gemini Award for Best
Direction in a Lifestyle/Practical Information
Program or Series for Made to Order “The
Apprentice”.
CSC News / December 2005 •
9
on camera
J
Director John Banovich csc
Sharp Chooses
Panasonic
HDC27F
as
to Shoot Indie Feature
Marbles
Photo: Jack Dillon
ohn Banovich csc changed hats
this fall to direct and co-produce
the comedy feature Sharp as
Marbles, shot in Langley, B.C., from
September to October for Vilio Bros.
Productions. He chose a close colleague as director of photography, but
he knew the camera he wanted for the
low-budget indie - the high-definition
Panasonic AJ-HDC27F.
With extensive experience on the
27F, dubbed the VariCam, and the earlier 27V, Banovich said it was the logical camera to use for this shoot, not
only to save money but also to acquire
the highest quality image with the
least demand for big lighting.
Banovich enlisted long-time friend
Chris Oben as DOP. Oben had worked
DOP Chris Oben (left) and director John Banovich
csc set up a shot with their high-definition
Panasonic AJ-HDC27F VariCam for the
low-budget feature Sharp as Marbles.
10 • CSC News
/
December 2005
with Banovich for many years as a
camera assistant and operator, and,
the director said, “Chris's knowledge
of the camera and his expertise with
HD in general were a huge asset to the
project.”
Oben had worked as the DIT/engineer on the HD-shot, U.S. cable series
The 4400 with DOP Tony Westman
csc, whom Banovich called “the ultimate mentor.” He said he also “had
the pleasure to have worked with Tony
Westman a few years ago on a TV
series The Fearing Mind.”
With Oben on board, Banovich
said he felt that Sharp as Marbles, a
slapstick, Dumb and Dumber-style film,
had just rounded the corner for success. The camera package was from
Plus 8 Rentals in Vancouver, complemented with various accessories from
the director and DOP themselves.
“The cost savings of tape stock
alone were significant,” Banovich said,
“never mind the great rental rates.
This camera works so well in low light
situations that it actually picks up
detail in the shadows that your eye
can't. Chris was rating the 27F at 800
ISO with lots of head room left.” This
allowed the crew to reduce the size of
the fixtures in the electrics package
required to light the numerous setups.
Banovich was impressed with the
camera's ability to create a realistic “day
for night” look. “We had an unbelievable shooting schedule, which meant
we couldn't wait for the weather or for
nightfall. We shot in all conditions,
making the best of what we had.”
The director and DOP created a
unique look with the combination of
lighting fixtures and the 27F. “It wasn't your typical flat-lit comedy scenario,” Banovich said. “We used a little more contrasty lighting choices to
give it a bit of a
By Jack Dillon
dramatic flavour. A
healthy selection
of Kino Flos with accents of smaller
fresnels and large source light from big
HMIs was the work of Chris Oben's
distinctive touch.”
“We had a chance to really demonstrate our abilities as filmmakers as
well as the strong mechanism of a
well-oiled technical/creative team,”
the director said. “I felt very fortunate
to be surrounded with such competent
and supportive team players.”
The script of Sharp as Marbles was
written by twin brothers Erik and Steve
Vilio, who were also executive producers. They approached Banovich at the
beginning of this year, and then
brought in Deborah Harry of Vancouver
as creative producer. John Danylkiw
signed on as producer in September.
The film stars Canadian country
music star Adam Gregory, Sean Roberts,
Simeon Taole and Elizabeth Thai.
About the camera: The Panasonic
AJ-HDC27F VariCam progressive-scan,
high-definition production camera is
capable of variable frame rates from 4fps to 60-fps in single frame increments. The 720p camcorder can be
used for 60-fps or film-like 24-fps
acquisition. When acquiring for 24-fps
projects, higher than 24-fps operation
can be processed for slow motion
effects while slower than 24-fps operation can be processed to speed up
motion. The latest version of the
VariCam is the HDC27H.
(Jack Dillon is a university film
student who visited the set of Sharp
as Marbles on the invitation of
John Banovich. Jack is an aspiring
cinematographer.) •
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large format
From IMAX
FIGHTER PILOT:
OPERATION RED FLAG
F
ighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag offers aerial sequences never before seen on an IMAX screen. The film
follows Capt. John Stratton, a young American fighter pilot who flies the F-15 Eagle, arguably the most
potent and successful fighter plane ever built. His grandfather was a decorated World War II flying ace,
and Stratton is following in his footsteps. At Red Flag, the international training exercise for air forces of allied
countries, held in the Nevada desert, many of the world's best pilots meet for the most challenging flying of their
careers. Red Flag is the final training for pilots and their aircrews before being sent into actual combat. The film
is directed by Montreal-based Stephen Low, with William Reeve csc as director of photography. Following is a
reprint of an article in the October issue of Kodak's inCamera magazine.
“
Capt. John Stratton (kneeling right) and flight crew at Nellis AFB, Las Vegas, with their F-15 in the
background.
12 • CSC News
/
December 2005
H
ow many people who take the
flight are sick?” DP of IMAX
film Fighter Pilot: Operation Red
Flag William Reeve csc asked his pilot,
as he received two plastic motion sickness bags. He was told: “There's a onein-eight chance: all eight are sick, and
one-in-eight survive.”
The film, part-funded by Boeing
and the US Air Force, brings together
allied forces in an attempt to recreate
real aerial combat while giving pilots
their first ten missions under the training conditions of Red Flag. A young
pilot following in the footsteps of his
WW2 hero grandfather is tested to his
limits in the F-15 Strike Eagle while
engaged with a variety of aircraft.
Reeve has worked with IMAX for
over 20 years. His credits include
Volcanoes of the Deep Sea, Great North,
Extreme and Titanica.
“IMAX has its challenges, not least
the size and weight of the equipment;
there's not a lot of spare room inside a
fighter jet canopy,” says Reeve. “We
had to shoot full gate 35mm material
and blow it up 10-to-1 for the IMAX
screen when it was impossible to use
the larger equipment. With improvements in film recording and digital
enhancement, it is now possible to
digitally de-grain and stabilize the
camera jump and weave in negative
enough to enlarge to 15/70mm and
get away with it. It is surprising how
well 5245 ASA 50 daylight stock has
held up over the years in this capacity.
It is still the day exterior choice of
many IMAX movies.”
Reeve speaks from experience
about the lack of room in a fighter. He
had to design and test a rig for a
35mm cine camera above the navigator's seat of an F-15. “We had to install
and test fly a 35mm Aaton on the interior canopy bridge which is a 'fly away'
component in the case of ejection.
The camera operator/co-pilot had to
install the camera on Velcro pads after
buckling in and closing the canopy.”
The whole test operation made the
air force very nervous having a civilian
camera operator in the co-pilot's seat of
a 15 million dollar aircraft with armed
ejector seats. Reeve received full Gforce and egress training, got suited up
and took a two-hour flight his pilot
promised would end in a lost breakfast.
“It's really cramped in there. Just
changing rolls is very tricky. You have
live controls all around you - there's no
margin for error - and the jet is pulling
3 to 7G turns.”
Once tested, Reeve trained the copilot (which were really our hero
pilots-camera looking rearward) to use
the camera while the Director Stephen
Low instructed the pilots on the shots
he needed to get. “These guys are like
astronauts,” recalls Reeve; they only
need showing something once. We got
everything we needed and more. Their
skills are incredible.”
Another featured aircraft is the
AWAC reconnaissance plane, which is
too complicated to co-ordinate air
time, so the crew had to build an accurate model for interior shots. “I had
my hand in a start to finish set design
for the camera. I was given full artistic
licence to design the interior to preserve reality but create a lighting niche
for the 15/65mm format. A WW2 B-25
Mitchell bomber had a SpaceCam
Gyro stabilized mount and 35mm
Vistavision camera mounted in the tail
gunner's position.
“We had fully armed fighter training
missions in the air at our command
including F-15s swimming like sharks in
tight echelon formation within ten feet
of the Mitchell bomber,” says Reeve. Clay
Lacy, veteran aerial cinematographer, had
• see page 14
F-15 Strike Eagles fly in tight formation. For this shot the B-25 had to fly at maximum speed of 200
knots while the F-15s flew well below their manoeuvring speed, just barely staying aloft.
Merry Christmas
from your friends at Rosco
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CSC News / December 2005 •
13
• from page 13
an IMAX camera mounted in the nose
of his Lear jet for high speed pursuit
shots. Clay also used a full gate 35mm
periscope camera that can pan and tilt
from a view under the belly of the jet.
A 'full-wing' of A-10 Tankbusters used
live ammunition to demonstrate their
awesome destructive power for a one
mile remote camera set-up. The cine
gear was deployed in concrete bunkers
to get close in looks at the shock waves
of 500lb high drag bombs. One camera's matte box took a golden piece of
fragment through a one inch thick
lexan window.
Reeve knows how lucky the crew
was to be given rare access to such a
wealth of hardware and manpower.
“The USAF brought us all the resources
we needed to recreate Red Flag environments on film. It took five years to
pull the project together, six months
to design the shoot and two years of
my time to complete it.”
“We used 5245 for most of our daylight exteriors in the hot Nevada
desert sun and 5218 for all our interiors and night shoots.”
Having used 5279 as an emergency
daylight stock in the past, Reeve
was surprised at the different results
achieved with the 5218. “In fast pace
documentary IMAX shooting, you
often find yourself in awkward situations where lighting is pitiful on one
side of you and doing iris pulls into hot
desert on the other, like the interior of
the H-65 attack helicopter. In the past
we used 5279 for shots like this and it
cut very well with 5245 50D and 5246
50D. We tested 5218 as a daylight
stock, assuming similar results to 5279,
but it blows out very quickly in over
exposure in large format situations,”
he says. “You have to be very careful to
expose 5218 in these applications
which is contrary to most negative
films. Though I was really amazed by
its performance when we used it for
interiors and night work 5218 has a
fantastic ability to recreate exactly
what the human eye sees in low light
conditions.”
(Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag,
which premiered at the Smithsonian
Institution National Air and Space
Museum in Washington last December,
had its first Canadian screening in
Vancouver this past summer and will
open at the Omnimax Theatre at the
Ontario Science Centre in Toronto next
month.)
www.fighterpilotfilm.com •
CAMERA CLASSIFIEDS
FOR SALE: Sony BVW-D600 BetaSP camera; 3
lenses: Fujinon TV Zoom Pegasus III, 1:1.7/8.5
119mm, A14x8.5 Berm 28mm; Sony D600 - 01263
microphone unit; Tiffen 77mm Haze 2A filter; camera bag w/ strap; Porta-Brace jacket; 5 batteries
included, Hours: A-1692. B-856. C-2884. $18,000
Cdn. OBO. Contact Ian Cook/Ian Herring 604-5312244 or [email protected]
FOR SALE: Master Series Steadicam sled, excellent condition; re-built Master Series arm; newer
Master Series monitor w/ hood; Master Series
vest with leather re-enforcements; 4 Master
Series batteries, all in full capacity charge; 1 pag
charger; 1 long dovetail plate w/rods; 1 J bracket
for low mode; 1 extension post; 1 24-volt converter; 1 Panavision 24-volt power cable; 1 Moviecam
24-volt power cable; 1 Arri 435, 535, SR3 24-volt
power cable; 1 Master Series docking bracket; 2
older wireless video transmitters made by David
Hable; complete rain gear for the rig, monitor and
arm; other assorted cables and cases; 1 Encore
case for sled; 1 duffle vest bag and arm cover.
Solid working rig; selling because owner now
teaching fulltime and no longer requires the equipment; priced for quick sale. Contact Robin Lawless
[email protected]
FOR SALE: Equipment from the estate of the late
Bob Brooks csc, including camera package of Sony
Betacam BVP70 camera with BVV5 SP back, PortaA-Brace Run Case, Van Case and shipping trunk,
$2,900; lens package of Fujinon Aspheric EFP/ENG
Zoom Lens:A15x8 (8-120mm), with MCA-1A Zoom
Control, CP Aspheric Wide Angle Adaptor, Crosziel
Matte Box, BVE Mini Shutter, BVE 8021 Monitor,
with PC Power Supply, PAG NP1 Battery Charger &
2-26 Pin Cables. $2,900; sound package of Sure FP
31 Mixer, ECM 50 Condenser Mic., EV 635 Mic., EV
ED757 Mic., Bayer M58 Mic., Bayer DT 48
Headset, Sony wireless transmitter & receiver and
mic., $950; lighting and grip package of 1-2000w
Lowell Soft Light with Stands & Case, 2-Multi-6's
with stands and case, 4 600W mini Pros with
stands etc., 48 in. Flexfill, 12 Lighting & Grip
Stands, Misc. stands, cables, cases & sand bags,
$950; light meters: Minolta type 3F, Spectra P251, Spectra Combi 500, $300; cases: 9 - Porta-aBrace, Clydesdale, Pelican and Expandable cases,
$290; miscellaneous: Fuijon 9-126 Lens with Wide
Angle Adapters , Angenieux 12-240 Zoom Lens,
80 Misc. Filters, Sony KV 3500 Color TV, B & H
Projector with two lenses, $1,390. This equipment
has been meticulously maintained and is in
superb condition. Prices are firm and packages
must be purchased complete. Serious inquires
only, please contact Jim Mercer at 416-930-3485
or [email protected]
FOR SALE: Freelance sound editing/music studio,
originally cost over $75,000; selling for $12,500;
entire package only; will be sold as is F.O.B.
Toronto. For details, contact [email protected] or 416-636-9587.
FOR SALE: Canon XL1, mic, two 4-hr. batteries &
custom mount, Light Wave shotgun mount, Micro
Lux camera light. $1,500 or best offer. Ivar at 416410-7636 or [email protected]
FOR SALE: Steadicam - Hollywood Lite, excellent
condition, configured for Aaton; Bauer batteries,
high-resolution LCD display. Supports 4 to 16 lb
camera, comes with carrying case, $3500. IDX
Delta 4 NP1 charger - charges four NP1 batteries
at a time. Great condition. One NP1 Battery - still
holds a good charge, $100. Pictures available by
email: [email protected] 604-726-5646
FOR SALE: Paillard Bolex H16 Reflex, excellent
condition, recently checked; comes with Pizar
1:1,5 -F+25mm carrying case, instruction book,
cable release. $1,400 obo. Contact Marc Strange,
416-405-8583 or e-mail [email protected]
FOR SALE: Cameraman's own Moviecam
Superamerica 35mm camera body w/short
viewfinder, PL mount (1.85/TV ground glass);
mount & body covers; transport case, and much
more. For details, contact Barry Lank csc (204)
452-9422 or [email protected]
TO SUBLET: Pied-a-Terre in Los Angeles. . . .
Several of us 'out-of-towners' share a West
Hollywood apartment and are looking for another
partner. Quiet building with balcony facing sunny
courtyard pool and hot tub. Furnished, fireplace,
secure parking, phone, fax machine, voice mail,
cable-TV, DSL internet . . .all ready to go at $460
US/mo. We use it as a drop-in centre while on
business in LA. Call Peter 416-698-4482 or
[email protected]
TO SUBLET: Montreal apartment, charming, fully
furnished 2 1/2 (one bedroom) in the heart of
Montreal's Plateau, close to downtown. All included: heat, phone, high speed internet. Perfect for
DP, director or actor going to work temporarily in
Montreal. Beautiful light, quiet, large balcony with
view on the mountain. Weekly or monthly. Call
Larry at 604 899 4234 or [email protected]
Camera Classifieds is a FREE service to CSC members. If you have items you’d like to buy or sell, please e-mail your list to [email protected]
14 • CSC News
/
December 2005
CSC FULL
AND
CSC FULL MEMBERS
Nicholas Allen-Woolfe csc
Jim Aquila csc
Eduardo Arregui csc
Michael Balfry csc
Christopher Ball csc
John Banovich csc
John Bartley csc asc
Stan Barua csc
Yves Bélanger csc
Peter Benison csc
Dean Bennett csc
John Berrie csc
Thom Best csc
Michel Bisson csc
Cyrus Block csc
Robert Bocking csc
Michael Boland csc
Raymond Brounstein csc
Thomas Burstyn csc
Barry Casson csc
Eric Cayla csc
Henry Chan csc
Marc Charlebois csc
Rodney Charters csc asc
Bruce Chun csc
Damir Chytil csc
Richard Ciupka csc
Arthur Cooper csc
Walter Corbett csc
Bernard Couture csc
Richard Crudo csc asc
Dean Cundey csc asc
Francois Dagenais csc
Steve Danyluk csc
David De Volpi csc
Kamal Derkaoui csc
Kim Derko csc
Jacques Desharnais csc
Serge Desrosiers csc
Jean-Yves Dion csc
Zoe Dirse csc
Mark Dobrescu csc
Wes Doyle csc
Guy Dufaux csc
Albert Dunk csc asc
Philip Earnshaw csc
Ian Elkin csc
Michael Ellis csc
Carlos Esteves csc
Nikos Evdemon csc
David Frazee csc
Marc Gadoury csc
James Gardner csc
David Geddes csc
Ivan Gekoff csc
Laszlo George csc
Len Gilday csc
Pierre Gill csc
John Goldi csc
LIFE MEMBERS
Russ Goozee csc
Steve Gordon csc
Barry Gravelle csc
David Greene csc
John Griffin csc
Michael Grippo csc
Manfred Guthe csc
Thomas Harting csc
Peter Hartmann csc
Pauline Heaton csc
Brian Hebb csc
David Herrington csc
Kenneth Hewlett csc
Edward Higginson csc
Robbi Hinds csc
Robert Holmes csc
John Holosko csc
George Hosek csc
Colin Hoult csc
Donald Hunter csc
Joan Hutton csc
Tom Ingle csc
Mark Irwin csc asc
Maris Jansons csc
James Jeffrey csc
Silvio Jesenkovic csc
Daniel Jobin csc
Pierre Jodoin csc
Martin Julian csc
Norayr Kasper csc
Glen Keenan csc
Ian Kerr csc
Jan Kiesser csc asc
Alar Kivilo csc asc
Douglas Koch csc
Charles Konowal csc
Rudi Kovanic csc
Jim Kozmik csc
Ken Krawczyk csc
Les Krizsan csc
Alwyn Kumst csc
Jean-Claude Labrecque csc
Serge Ladouceur csc
George Lajtai csc
Marc Laliberte Else csc
Barry Lank csc
Henry Lebo csc
John Lesavage csc
Henry Less csc
Pierre Letarte csc
Philip Linzey csc
Walt Lloyd csc
J.P. Locherer csc
Peter Luxford csc
Larry Lynn csc
Duncan MacFarlane csc
Dylan Macleod csc
Bernie MacNeil csc
Glen MacPherson csc
Harry Makin csc
Donald McCuaig csc
Robert McLachlan csc asc
Ryan McMaster csc
Michael McMurray csc
Stephen McNutt csc
Graeme Mears csc
Simon Mestel csc
Alastair Meux csc
Gregory Middleton csc
Gordon Miller csc
Robin Miller csc
Paul Mitchnick csc
Luc Montpellier csc
George Morita csc
Rhett Morita csc
David Moxness csc
Craig Mullins csc
Douglas Munro csc
Stefan Nitoslawski csc
Dan Nowak csc
Rene Ohashi csc asc
Ron Orieux csc
Harald Ortenburger csc
Gerald Packer csc
Rod Parkhurst csc
Barry Parrell csc
Brian Pearson csc
David Perrault csc
Barry Peterson csc
Bruno Philip csc
Matthew Phillips csc
André Pienaar csc
Edward Pietrzkiewicz csc
Ronald Plante csc
Randal Platt csc
Milan Podsedly csc
Hang Poon csc
Steven Poster asc csc
Andreas Poulsson csc
Pascal Provost csc
Don Purser csc
Joel Ransom csc
Ousama Rawi csc bsc
William Reeve csc
Stephen Reizes csc
Derek Rogers csc
Brad Rushing csc
Branimir Ruzic csc
Robert Saad csc
Victor Sarin csc
Paul Sarossy csc bsc
Gavin Smith csc
Christopher Soos csc
John Spooner csc
Ronald Stannett csc
Barry Stone csc
Michael Storey csc
Richard Stringer csc
Michael Sweeney csc
Adam Swica csc
Attila Szalay csc
Christopher Tammaro csc
Jason Tan csc
Gabor Tarko csc
John Tarver csc
Brian Thomson csc
Paul Tolton csc
Bert Tougas csc
Chris Triffo csc
Sean Valentini csc
Derek Vanlint csc
Gordon Verheul csc
Roger Vernon csc
Steve Vernon csc
Daniel Villeneuve csc
Daniel Vincelette csc
Michael Wale csc
John Walker csc
James Wallace csc
Tony Wannamaker csc
Peter Warren csc
Andrew Watt csc
Jim Westenbrink csc
Tony Westman csc
Kit Whitmore csc
Brian Whittred csc
Ron Williams csc
George Willis csc
Richard Wincenty csc
Glen Winter csc
Peter Woeste csc
Bill Wong csc
Bruce Worrall csc
Craig Wrobleski csc
Yuri Yakubiw csc
Ellie Yonova csc
FULL LIFE MEMBERS
Herbert Alpert csc asc
David Carr csc
Christopher Chapman csc
Robert Crone csc
Kenneth Davey csc
Kelly Duncan csc dgc
Dan Gibson csc
Kenneth Gregg csc
Brian Holmes csc
Maurice Jackson-Samuels csc
Douglas Kiefer csc
Naohiko Kurita csc
Harry Lake csc
Douglas Lehman csc
Donald McMillan csc
Jim Mercer csc
Roger Moride csc
Dean Peterson csc
Roger Racine csc
Robert Rouveroy csc
Ivan Sarossy csc
Josef Sekeresh csc
Walter Wasik csc
Ron Wegoda csc
CSC News / December 2005 •
15
news clips
What's New for Christmas?
NEW MINI DV UNDER THE TREE
Panasonic Canada Introduces the DVX100B
The Panasonic AG-DVX100B
F
ollowing the success of the AGDVX100A, Panasonic Canada has
announced the arrival of the AGDVX100B, an upgraded mini-DV camcorder which the company calls an
important step in supporting cost-effective standard-definition production.
The AG-DVX100A is a tool that
many aspiring filmmakers have chosen to shoot low-budget features and
shorts. For television productions
around the world it has become a
highly specified second-unit camera
and in a lot of cases the only camcorder used. All of the original features
of the DVX100 remain in the new
camera and Panasonic says it has been
updated with new features that will
increase its usability in any production
medium.
“With a great deal of standard-definition production still being made
all over the world, Panasonic continues to maintain development of this
format as well as looking to the future
with the advancement of HD and P2
memory card technology,” says David
Craig, product manager, Broadcast
and Security Systems for Panasonic
Canada. “The AG-DVX100B addresses
some of the modifications program
makers have been asking for with
improvements throughout the unit.”
16 • CSC News
/
December 2005
Where cost effective
system setups have previously been out of reach
of restricted budgets, an
important enhancement
to the camera is a TC synchronization setting that
assists in multi-camera
shooting. Connect-ing
two or more AGDVX100B units together
with a DV cable allows
synchronous time code
settings. Panasonic says
the AG-DVX100B is the
first mini-DV camcorder
with the ability to synchronize; previously, this
feature was only available on much
bulkier and more costly cameras.
For situations where remote controls are necessary, iris and focus control are added, making the camcorder
even more versatile. Now using any of
the currently available after-market
products, all the camera's key functions are available by remote, making
it more usable in rigs, on cranes or in
any situation where the user can't be
close to the unit.
The basic design of the camera is
unchanged; however, small changes
have made the camera easier to use.
The LCD screen now shows letterbox
for 16:9 shooting. The space above
and below will show relevant shooting
data and the screen is now better protected against drops. The screw for
tripods is now changeable, the internal mic has been enhanced and the
speaker has been moved nearer to the
LCD screen to make the audio easier
to hear during playback. Improved
colour reproduction with advanced
image adjustments have enhanced the
unit, allowing productions to cut
material shot on this camcorder into
other formats with even more ease.
The DVX100B is now available at
selected suppliers for the manufacturer's suggested retail price of $4,960.
GENESIS FLIES WITH SUPERMAN RETURNS
HD Camera Debuts on Warner Feature;
Genesis also in B.C. for Scary Movie 4
In its first major role, Panavision's
Genesis HD video camera found superhero work shooting Warner Bros.
Pictures' highly anticipated feature
Superman Returns, directed by Bryan
Singer and lensed by Newton Thomas
Sigel, ASC. The film stars Brandon
Routh in the title role and was shot in
Sydney, Australia. Now in post-production, Superman Returns will be
released next summer.
The Genesis camera, which
Panavision says offers unparalleled
clarity and flexibility in a cable-free
video format, was developed over a
three-year period as a collaborative
effort between Panavision and Sony.
Panavision introduced the Genesis at
Cinegear 2004 as a prototype. Superman
Returns had eight Genesis cameras on
set for the main unit, second unit and
the visual effects unit. Three more were
used in a sequence photographed in
the Los Angeles area.
DOP Sigel, a veteran cinematographer who has paired with Singer on
several projects, including X-Men,
X2, Apt Pupil and The Usual Suspects,
describes the Genesis images as:
“Great. The colour and tonality of
the pictures I'm getting seem very
much like film, and yet to see it so
sharp and grainless is wonderful. In
some weird way, it's like shooting
65mm.”
Sigel's crew found that the ergonomics of the Genesis camera closely resemble a Panavision film camera. “Since it
uses regular Panavision cine lenses,
there is a big comfort factor in knowing
that, at least up front, it is similar to the
way we have worked before, and the
size and weight of the camera is similar
to the Millennium.
“The shutter options are great, better than any film camera. Really, what
film camera can you shoot with a 360degree shutter?”
The Genesis works with a dockable
Sony SRW-1 VTR, which allows for
freedom from cables. “Being able to
treat the recorder like you would a film
magazine is infinitely superior to some
of the other tethered systems,” says
Sigel, adding that one of the most
attractive features is being able to view
shots on a large HD monitor. “I can't
say that what you see is what you get,
but there is not a film video tap in the
world that compares to the clarity of a
direct HD feed.”
In Vancouver, director David Zucker's
horror spoof Scary Movie 4, which wraps
principal shooting this month, has laid
claim to being the first feature shot in
Canada with the Panavision Genesis.
Director of photography is Tom
Ackerman, ASC, with Randal Platt csc as
2nd-unit DOP.
GILBERT TAYLOR, BSC
To Receive ASC International
Achievement Award
Gilbert Taylor, BSC will receive
the 2006 American Society of Cinematographers International Achievement Award, which is presented
annually to a cinematographer who
compiled his or her main body of
work outside the United States. The
presentation will be made during
the 20th annual ASC Outstanding
Achievement Awards at the Century
Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles on Feb. 26.
Taylor's career stretched over eight
decades. He started as an assistant
cameraman in 1929 at the age of 15
and earned nearly 70 cinematography
credits, including such classics as Dr.
Strangelove, A Hard Day's Night, The
Omen and Star Wars. Taylor received a
Lifetime Achievement Award from the
British Society of Cinematographers
in 2002.
He joins a distinguished group
of recipients of the ASC International
Achievement Award, including Freddie
Young, BSC, Jack Cardiff, BSC, Gabriel
Figueroa, AMC, Henri Alekan, Raoul
Coutard, Freddie Francis, BSC, Giuseppe
Rotunno, ASC, AIC, Oswald Morris,
BSC, Billy Williams, BSC, Douglas
Slocombe, BSC, Witold Sobocinski, PSC,
Miroslav Ondricek, ASC, ACK, and
Tonino Delli Colli, AIC.
Focused. Advanced. Reliable.
And then there’s the camera.
PRODUCTION RENTALS • SERVICE & LEASING • HARDWARE SALES • RECORDING MEDIA • EVENT STAGING • SYSTEMS INTEGRATION
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1.877.38.SCOPE
www.videoscope.com
35
years
• see page 19
CSC News / December 2005 •
17
CSC
“The essence of cinematography
is about storytelling. It's about
manipulating the medium to add tone,
mood and dimension to get the right
look and feel for the drama.
Camera and film technologies keep
advancing, giving us sharper lenses
and film with higher resolution
and latitude. This gives us a palette
from which to start. The eye,
through observation, imagination and
interpretation, is still the finest tool.
Through previsualization, if all the
elements are combined to their fullest
potential, the visual drama will have
an unquestionable life of its own.”
Gerald Packer, CSC studied filmmaking
at Ryerson University in Toronto
where he made experimental shorts
and shot other students projects.
After graduation, he segued into
narrative projects such as H,
which won Best Canadian Feature
at the 1991 Toronto Film Festival.
His feature film credits include
Boozecan, Swann, Twist, Hangman
and Conquest. His television credits
include I Was a Rat, The Many Trials
of Jane Doe, Chasing Cain and Chasing
Cain II: Face. Packer recently finished
Terry, a M.O.W. about runner Terry Fox,
which is scheduled to air this fall.
Packer is currently shooting the third
season of This is Wonderland.
To read the full transcript of
Gerald’s interview visit us online
at www.kodak.ca/go/packer
To order KODAK Motion Picture Film,
call (800) 621 -FILM (3456).
© Kodak Canada Inc., 2005.
ONFILM
GERALD
PACKER
• from page 17
ARRI 3D COLOUR MANAGEMENT
System Starts from Scratch
Assimilate Inc. of Saratoga, Calif.,
has announced its real-time Scratch
Data-Centric Workflow Solution now
supports ARRICMS, the 3D colour
management system (CMS) from
Arri. This combination of Assimilate
and ARRICMS extends the digital
workflow toolset for creative professionals who seek an affordable, easyto-use, high-quality post-production
solution for visually complex, fullresolution films.
ARRICMS is a 3D colour management software used during the colour
grading process that enables colourists
and directors of photography to
achieve a precise transfer of images displayed on CRT monitors and DLP projectors to final print film. ARRICMS,
which includes 3D LUTs, ensures that
colour adjustments made in the colour
grading process will correspond with
the final film master.
Scratch is a real-time, data-centric
workflow solution for visually complex, full-resolution, high-quality,
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SASK. INCREASES TAX CREDIT
Film Employment Program
Up to 55% Max
· The base tax credit will be 45% of all
eligible and deemed labour. Earnings
of non-residents of Saskatchewan can
be deemed as eligible when training a
resident of the province.
· A rural bonus of 5% of total production expenditures for projects
shot 40km or more from Regina or
Saskatoon.
· A key position bonus of 5% will
encourage producers to hire specific
crew in above-the-line and below-theline positions. This additional bonus is
based on attaining 6 out of 10 points
on positions ranging from director to
production coordinator.
· The combined federal and
Saskatchewan incentives now range
from 53.8 % of qualifying labour, if
eligible for the base credits, to a high
of 62.2 % of qualifying labour, if
eligible for the two bonus credits. •
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CSC News / December 2005 •
19
ACTION PRODUCTION NOTES & CSC CALENDAR
British Columbia, Prairies
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (series); DOP: Stephen McNutt csc;
Op: Ryan McMaster csc; to Dec. 1, Vancouver (HD).
DA VINCI'S CITY HALL (series); DOP: David Frazee csc; Op:
Kevin Hall; to Dec. 21, Vancouver.
DRAGON BOYS (mini-series); DOP: Danny Nowak csc;
to Dec. 13, Langley, B.C.
88 MINUTES (feature); 2nd-unit Op: Michael Wale csc;
to Dec. 12, Vancouver.
EVIDENCE (series); DOP: David Geddes csc; to Feb. 27, Burnaby.
GODIVAS (series); DOP: Bruce Worrall csc; to Dec. 16, Burnaby.
KILLER INSTINCT (series); DOP: Philip Linzey csc;
to Dec. 19, Vancouver.
THE L WORD (series); Op: Neil Seale; to Dec. 16, Vancouver.
NORTH OF HOPE (MOW); DOP: Paul Sarossy csc bsc; B-Op/
2nd-unit DOP: Gordon Verheul csc; to Dec. 9, North Vancouver.
RENEGADEPRESS.COM (series); DOP: Ken Krawczyk csc;
to Dec. 4, Regina.
REUNION (series); DOP: David Moxness csc; Op:
Chris Tammaro csc; to Dec. 21, North Vancouver.
SCARY MOVIE 4 (feature); 2nd-unit DOP/Op: Randal Platt csc;
to Dec. 9, North Vancouver (HD).
SMALLVILLE (series); DOP: Glen Winter csc (with Barry Donlevy);
to April 29, Burnaby.
SUPERNATURAL (series); DOP: Serge Ladouceur csc;
Op: James Wallace csc; to March 30, Burnaby.
X3 (feature); 2nd-unit B-Op: Glen Dickson; to Dec. 17, Vancouver.
THE VELVET DEVIL (MOW); DOP/Op: Mark Dobrescu csc;
to Nov. 30, Regina.
WHISTLER (series); B-Op/2nd-unit DOP: Brian Whittred csc;
to April 16, Langley, B.C. (HD).
Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic
BILLABLE HOURS (series); DOP: Thom Best csc;
to Dec. 6, Toronto (HD).
BOOKY'S MARK (pilot); DOP: Norayr Kasper csc;
to Dec. 14, Toronto.
BREACH (feature); Op: Mark Willis; to Jan. 27, Toronto.
CHEECH (long metrage-film); DOP: Yves Belanger csc;
au 8 decembre, Outremont, Que.
CHEZ SCHWARTZ'S (serie documentaire); DOP: Marc Gadoury csc;
au 23 decembre, Montreal.
COMME EN APPART' (tele-roman); DOP: Daniel Villeneuve csc
(pilote); au 31 janvier, Montreal.
THE COVENANT (long metrage-film); DOP: Pierre Gill csc;
au 3 decembre, Montreal.
DARK ORACLE (series); DOP: Kim Derko csc; to Dec. 1, Toronto.
GHOSTLY ENCOUNTERS (series); DOP: Gavin Smith csc;
to April 30, Toronto.
THE GOSPEL OF DECEIT (MOW); DOP: Alwyn Kumst csc;
Op: Michel Bisson csc; 1st: Gottfried Pflugbeil;
to Dec. 2, Toronto (HD).
THE HADES FACTOR (mini-series); B-2nd: Marcel Janisse;
to Dec. 16, Toronto.
INSTANT STAR (series); DOP: John Berrie csc; to Dec. 6, Toronto.
KAW (MOW); DOP: John Tarver csc; to Dec. 5, Toronto (HD).
KILL SHOT (feature); DOP: Caleb Deschanel asc; B-1st:
Joseph Micomonaco; to Dec. 15, Toronto.
THE MARSH (feature); DOP: David Perrault csc;
Dec. 5 to Jan. 20, Toronto.
NATURALLY SADIE (series); DOP: Mitchell Ness; to Feb. 7,
Toronto (HD).
OCTOBER 1970 (MOW); DOP: Marc Charlebois csc;
Op: Christopher Ball csc; to Feb. 3, Halifax.
A PERFECT MARRIAGE (feature); DOP/Op: Bert Tougas csc;
to Dec. 12, Ottawa.
REGENESIS (series); DOP: Michael Storey csc; Op:
Andris Matiss; to Dec. 13, Mississauga, Ont. (HD).
REXXX THE FIREHOUSE WONDERDOG (feature); 1st:
Chirayouth Jim Saysana; to Dec. 8, Toronto.
THE SHRINK (MOW); DOP: Russ Goozee csc; to Dec. 5,
Hamilton, Ont. (HD).
THIS IS WONDERLAND (series); DOP: Gerald Packer csc;
to Dec. 20, Toronto.
Schedule of Meetings and Events of Interest to CSC Members
Toronto
Sat., April 8 - The 2006 CSC Awards Gala, at the Crowne Plaza Don Valley Hotel. Deadline for film/video submissions is
Jan. 31. For information, contact Executive Director Susan Saranchuk at 416-266-0591 or [email protected]
Check www.csc.ca for the latest information
20 • CSC News
/
December 2005
SHADOWS CAST.
SHADOWS CAUGHT.
INTRODUCING KODAK VISION2 50D FILM.
THE DAYLIGHT FILM THAT’S NOT
AFRAID OF THE DARK.
KODAK VISION2 50D Color Negative Film is the latest
addition to the breakthrough VISION2 Film family. A superb
daylight film, its vast dynamic range lets you pull more
detail from shadows—even in high-contrast scenes.
And like all VISION2 Films, it sets a higher standard for
flesh-to-neutral reproduction. Tell brilliant stories, even if
they have a dark side. Visit www.kodak.com/vision2 or
call your representative for a screening.
© Kodak Canada Inc., 2005. Kodak and Vision are trademarks.
KODAK VISION2 Motion Picture Films. What’s next.
VISION2 50D Color Negative Film 5201/7201
VISION2 100T Color Negative Film 5212/7212
VISION2 200T Color Negative Film 5217/7217
VISION2 250D Color Negative Film 5205/7205
VISION2 Expression 500T Color Negative Film 5229/7229
VISION2 500T Color Negative Film 5218/7218