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National E-News 1 September 2014 Revised | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| You are receiving this newsletter once again as the previous version contained a few links that were not working. In This Issue- President's Report
PRESIDENTS REPORTGreetings ACS colleagues, September already, which means Grand finals galore and ACS Awards judging sessions. By now your entries should be in and ready for judging, This is such an exciting time of the year, for so many reasons; in particular we have ACS Accreditation screenings and also the judging of entries in the very first NT Branch Awards. The very best of good fortune to you all and I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the Awards presentations. A reminder to all those interested in applying for the CANON ACS NATIONAL EQUIPMENT INITIATIVE that applications are open for submissions from ACS members to apply to use, free of rental costs, specific equipment from CANON AUSTRALIA. This initiative is the concept of Paul Stewart from Canon, and driven by ACS NSW Branch member, Helen Barrow. Applications will only be accepted from financial ACS members, with preference given to emerging cinematographers. Student Members are welcome to apply, however student class projects are excluded from the program. Projects eligible for consideration for the Initiative For more information, detailed guidelines and an Application form, contact Initiative Co-Ordinator:
ACS HQ REPORT
Sony Training Sessions held over 2 Thursday nights, Sony held these very informative sessions keeping our members up to date with the latest news involving their Sony F55/ F5 cameras. The Australian Production Designers Guild holds their monthly meetings in the Boardroom on the last Monday of each month. http://www.apdg.org.au The ACS National Board and other ACS Committees has also held several meetings this month in the Boardroom. Pieter De Vries ACS - continues to hold his very successful PDV Digital Cinema Workshops at the National Headquarters. http://www.pieterdevries.com.au NSW Branch Thursday Night Drop In Martin McGrath ACS entertained us with his stories of his award winning film The Broken Shore and sponsor ARRI Australia held a hands on for members of their new ARRI AMIRA camera. Support the National Headquarters and the ACS at upcoming events and watch it grow. Remember the HQ is there for all members to use. For details contact Richard Wilmot ACS SAILABILITY SPECIAL EVENTRotary Northbridge invited the ACS to one of their weekly dinners on Tuesday 19 August to say thank you to all those concerned in the production of a 2 minute video featuring a days sailing for Sailability, which is a joint venture with Sailability Australia, Northbridge and North Sydney Rotary Clubs that enables people with disabilities to enjoy some quality sailing time on Sydney Harbour once a fortnight on Sunday mornings. This is a huge operation involving Rotary volunteers loading sometimes up to 30 people with various disabilities onto small sailing craft; taking them for a sail and bringing them safely back to their transport home. David and Marianne Wakeley, Ted and Anne Rayment, David and Margaret Lewis attended the dinner where we did a small presentation of what the ACS is all about and presented the video and a making of video to the Rotary members present. Both videos were very well received and will now be used by Sailability to promote their activities and hopefully help them with raising funds. The ACS was presented with two certificates as a thank you. Those involved from the ACS were David Knight ACS, Ted Rayment ACS, David Wakeley ACS, Marianne Wakeley, Velinda Wardell ACS, Richard Wilmot, Margaret and David Lewis ACS.
ACS CineKids
An ACS CineKids member is a young person, 15 years or under, who has a passion for cameras and filmmaking. ACS CineKids will receive an ACS Welcome Pack with a membership certificate, membership card, note pad and pen, access to our E news both National & State, and various screenings and workshops, along with mentoring from our ACS cinematographers. Commenting on the ACS CineKids initiative National President of the Australian Cinematographers Society Ron Johanson OAM ACS said, The ACS firmly believes it is our responsibility to encourage the future generations of cinematographers in every possible way we can, as the future of cinematography, across all genres depends on it. To find out more and how to join ACS CineKids click HERE
In setting up ACS CineKids we were advised and assisted by Jacqueline Cosgrove, and the ACS proudly supports Barbic Studio and KidzFlicks, two other initiatives that are the brainchild of Jacqueline and her amazing, dedicated team.
ADAM ARKAPAW WINS EMMY FOR "TRUE DETECTIVE"Warmest congratulationsto Victorian menber Adam Arkapaw on receiving his second Emmy for his brilliant work on True Detective.
The main challenge was always time, explained Arkapaw. In a film, you might be accustomed to shooting two to three minutes of screen time a day. On True Detective, we were shooting five to six minutes every day. Basically, your time to devise, prepare and execute your work is cut in half. Other challenges, he said, included the workload, the volatile weather and the temptation to drink a lot of daiquiris. The tracking shot, which the script suggests results from an improvised act, actually took months of planning.
ARRI ANNOUNCES PRORES UHD OUTPUT FOR AMIRA
A new software upgrade for ARRIs documentary-style AMIRA camera will allow it to record ProRes UHD files, answering the 4K requirements of some productions. The upgrade is expected to be available for purchase at the online ARRI License Shop by the end of 2014. DELIVER ANY FORMAT While widespread adoption of 4K or UHD for broadcast is still a long way off, an increasing number of content owners are becoming concerned that they ought to safeguard the longevity of their programs by ensuring that they will be suitable for UHD transmission, should that become a standard in the future. For those productions that do need to generate UHD deliverables, AMIRA will now offer the ability to record all ProRes codecs in Ultra High Definition 3840 x 2160 resolution directly onto the in-camera CFast 2.0 cards, at up to 60 fps. This feature, activated through an affordable software license (and a sensor calibration for existing AMIRAs), comes in response to feedback from AMIRA customers, some of whom have been quizzed about 4K deliverables by clients. It is made possible by the cameras exceptional image quality, its processing power, and its reprogrammable system architecture. Whether a production is pursuing a UHD workflow all the way through to distribution, or simply wishes to archive in UHD in order to future-proof itself against industry developments, AMIRA now offers an easy solution that requires no additional processes in postproduction. IN-CAMERA PROCESSING The ALEXA/AMIRA sensor has repeatedly proved its ability to deliver outstanding image quality for the 4K or even IMAX theatrical releases of high-end feature films such as Gravity, Maleficent and Iron Man 3. This proves that the ALEXA and AMIRA camera systems are already future-proof and more than suitable for the next generation of distribution formats. For major feature films, an up-sample to 4K can be carried out after visual effects and other postproduction tasks have been completed at 2K resolution. For certain fast-paced AMIRA productions, however, there may not be the time or resources for such processes in post, which is why a 4K or UHD output direct from the camera has been requested. AMIRAs UHD output utilizes the same efficient 1.2x up-sample filter that allows ALEXAs Open Gate mode to optimize the cameras image performance for 4K distribution, as well as the same best-in-class sensor pixels. The up-sample to UHD happens in camera, and in real time. SAME GREAT IMAGE QUALITY Outputting UHD broadens the distribution options for the superior image quality that has helped make AMIRA, and ALEXA, such a success. The wide, 14+-stop dynamic range remains unaltered, as does the accurate colourimetry, natural skin tones, and organic look and feel. By making that high-quality image data coming out of the sensor compatible with higher spatial resolution formats, the UHD upgrade answers the concerns of certain regions and productions about a 4K future, allowing AMIRA to be used on any project, no matter what deliverables are required
Simon Chapman ACS drops us a Postcard from the USA
Sony F65 4K CineAlta Camera The Dark Horse New NZ independent feature drama shot with two Sony F65s by Denson Baker ACSThe recent New Zealand-based independent feature film The Dark Horse was shot by Denson Baker ACS on the Sony F65 4K CineAlta camera. Baker, one of Australia and New Zealands most innovative DOPs, experienced many challenges during the movie shoot which he described as, a particularly intense one. Baker explained, I come from a film background, I have shot features on 35mm, Super16, RED and ALEXA. When I was first talking about shooting The Dark Horse, Four Knights film producer Tom Hern mentioned that ImageZone were happy for me to test all their cameras and different lens combinations and they were keen for me to have a look at their F65s as they had bought two of them when The Evil Dead was shot in New Zealand. To be honest I was a little skeptical at first - I shot my tests under the same conditions that we would shoot the drama and in fact I pushed the boundaries of the camera even more then I usually would. We flew down to Park Road Post to grade our tests and see them on the big screen. All of us, director James Napier-Robertson, producer Tom Hern and colourist Clare Burlinson were all very, very impressed with the F65. In fact I would go as far as to say we were blown away! For The Dark Horse, Baker had a specific set of requirements for his camera package that included having a very wide dynamic range, the ability to perform well in low light, being comfortable for handheld operating and most importantly the images had to look cinematic, epic and atmospheric. Baker continued, The production was almost entirely handheld. We shot with two F65 cameras for about 15 days of the 33 day shoot. We shot primarily with a set of Zeiss Ultra Primes, then for selected scenes, we also used a set of vintage Hawk anamorphic lenses, to visually communicate the state of mind of lead character Genesis, played by Cliff Curtis. We shot continuous scenes that started in full sun exterior, follow Cliff into an moody interior, then travel around to see him against blown-out windows, with the variety of different Maori skin tones against white walls, dark corridors, over exposed windows and sun kicking off water, we needed a camera that would handle all of the extremes of exposure. The F65 held up incredibly well giving us control over such extremes rather than us becoming a slave to them. Although the camera is a little bulky, it is actually very nicely balanced for handheld shooting. If you have ever had a Panavision Millennium XL on your shoulder then you will feel at home with the F65. James the director and I talked at great length about creating a feeling of being on a journey with Genesis, we wanted to travel with him. We wanted the audience to be by his side through all the agony, the joy and even the mundane. To do this we followed him in a way that was intended to feel continuous and spontaneous as he walked through the streets, into homes and stores and getting in and out of the car. We shot on a low loader for some car interiors but for many of them we would shoot with our cast driving, setting up minimal lighting and with myself either in the front seat or in the rear looking forward. For one shot our key grip Gareth Robinson rigged a crane seat on the side of Genesis car, allowing me to sit outside the drivers side window, while Cliff drove the car down the street, then I could step off and walk across the road with him when he stopped. Given he came into The Dark Horse shoot with a few doubts Baker was clearly pleased with the performance of the F65 and some of the key functionality that sets it apart from other cameras in its class. He added, Besides the cinematic quality to the images, I was really impressed by the mechanical shutter on the F65, this makes a big difference to the motion blur when you are shooting handheld. The rear ND filter wheel was also a big time-saver. There would be times when we would have a shot lined up, about to shoot another take and the sun would pop or I would just feel that we wanted a more shallow or deeper depth of field, and with the tap of the buttons and a flick of the jog wheel I could do a filter change within a matter of seconds. This is important when we were shooting fast and the actors were ready to go and you dont want to break the momentum. The other feature that I used to our advantage was controlling the camera from the iPad app. For a couple of set-ups we did a mechanical shutter change during the shot from a 90 degree shutter to 172.8 degrees when going from exterior in the rain into a moody interior. The dynamic range of the F65 meant that we didnt have to do much of an exposure change from interior to exterior when usually it would require a dramatic iris pull. As the shoot progressed Baker found himself not only liking the F65 but becoming a real fan. For a cinematographer with such high standards this was praise indeed for Sonys flagship digital cinematography camera. He commented, I must admit I am now a big fan of the F65. In fact I liked it so much I recommend we test it for the next feature that I shot with director Jim Loach. Jim is a film purist. We shot Oranges & Sunshine together on Super 35 film and for his most recent project I shot tests on three different digital formats and four different combinations of lenses and he loved the look of the F65 the most. With the combo of some filters and right choice of lenses, it was the closest to the feel of 35mm that we had seen. The dynamic range is incredible, the mechanical shutter is a big plus. However it is the soft, clean, high resolution image that it gives you to play with which allowed me to work the image so much. With the use of filters, vintage anamorphic lenses, mixed colour temperature lighting and a wide mix of skin tones, the images from the F65 are a pleasure to work with in the grading suite. Baker and his crew tested shooting Sony RAW SQ and RAW Lite discovering that visually the difference was unperceivable, even when zoomed 800% on the big screen at Park Road Post Production. So with a huge saving in data and storage he opted to shoot RAW Lite. Baker explained, Michael Urban was our on-set DIT and he did a fantastic job. He handled the data, added a LUT to our rushes and would subtly tailor it daily with each new location or look. I would get a hard drive of rushes at the end of every day and a selection of frame grabs from each set-up. Editorial would get their own rushes with the same LUT on them. Park Road Post Production wrote their own debayering software for the final online and grade, which was done in 4K in their Mistika grading suite by the very talented and lovely colourist Clare Burlinson.
The Dark Horse is a very specific type of film with a very specific type of look and feel. Something Baker and Director James Napier-Robertson acknowledged from the very beginning. Baker said, James and I wanted the film to have an atmospheric quality to it. It needed to feel cinematic yet based in realism. It is based on a true story so we wanted it to feel real and true to the world of Genesis Potini. The film goes to some pretty dark places, emotionally and psychologically, however at its heart it is an uplifting and inspirational tale. We rated the camera at its native 800ISO for most of the shoot, I did bump it up to 1600ISO for a couple of night exteriors when we needed that little bit more exposure and there was little or no additional noise added in doing so. In fact during tests I shot 800, 1600, 1250 and 3200 and it wasnt really until 3200ISO that there was a perceivable increase in noise. Even then the noise had quite a lovely filmic texture to it. We set-up a basic on-set LUT in pre-production and loaded it up on both of our cameras, however I mainly left it set to REC709 (800%). This gave me the best representation of what we were capturing in RAW yet still adding a bit of contrast to the on-set viewing. In the past I have often played around setting up looks and on-set LUTs however, sometimes I find it is best to stick to the one standard LUT and light accordingly to that. Its kind of like choosing a single film stock and lighting it accordingly. By his own admission The Dark Horse was an intense shoot. With many varied and challenging environments and a great deal of rain to contend with, but Denson Baker was ultimately very glad he had the F65 to rely on. Baker concluded, The F65 performed flawlessly. I did have initial concerns about its bulk when shooting car interiors, however, we did strip it back and make it quite compact. I was also concerned about the amount of rain and humidity that we would be shooting in but again the camera had no issues. We did need to turn off the mechanical shutter for sound reasons when we were shooting in confined spaces such as bathrooms and quiet bedrooms, however it was never an issue as the movement in those kinds of scenes isnt enough to notice the difference of the electronic shutter. We had wonderful technical support from ImageZone in Auckland. Dean Thomas and Hugh Calveley were on hand and knew the F65s inside and out. They got us set-up in pre and then would pop out on set occasionally to be sure that we would be operating without a hitch. As I stated earlier, after my experience with the F65 on The Dark Horse I now have to admit, Im a big fan of this camera. The Dark Horse is currently screening in New Zealand and will be released in Australia later this year. The film will also be premiering during the opening weekend of this years Toronto International Film Festival.
MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT (2014) - review by James Cunningham
Following the critical success of Blue Jasmine (2013), Magic In The Moonlight is certainly not director Woody Allens best work. Nonetheless its the efforts of acclaimed Iranian-born Cinematographer Darius Khondji AFC ASC (Delicatessen, Se7en, Evita) who not only liberates the script, but makes the film a surprising pleasure to watch. This luscious visual feast, set on the beautiful French Riviera, is so delicious to the eyes that the narrative almost seems unimportant. Khondji shot Magic In The Moonlight, his forth collaboration with Allen, on 35mm film with old CinemaScope lenses and paints an incredibly pleasing image with a palette of pastel colours. So simple to get carried-away with the lavishness of the French country side, the viewer can at times discount the other failings of Magic In The Moonlight. The film does feature a wonderful soundtrack with tracks ranging from Jerome Kern to Rodgers and Hammerstein, Cole Porter, and Stravinsky. And look out for the blink-and-you'll-miss-it performance by Australia's own Jacki Weaver. Allen detractors will squirm however at the near thirty year age gap between the two leads, Colin Firth and Emma Stone. While Allen certainly does bring the moonlight, Khondji really does bring the magic to save the film two-and-a-half stars.
LEMAC is offering NSW cinematographers an in-depth 2 day seminar exploring the complex nature of light.Lemac is offering NSW cinematographers an in-depth 2 day seminar exploring the complex nature of light. Traditional continuous light sources and modern discontinuous lights such as LED fixtures will be discussed and the seminar will explore the effects of light quality on skin tone and other common materials. Additionally, a look at the issues posed in post production when mixing light sources or using poor quality light will also be analysed.
These events will also be held at Lemac in Brisbane and Melbourne, information for those session is on Lemac's events page
NOMINATE NOW FOR THE ACS TECHNICAL & INNOVATION ACHIEVEMENT AWARD IN HONOR OF MILLER TRIPODS FOUNDER BOB MILLER
Miller is pleased to announce that the Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS) have partnered with the company to create a new Award for the ACS National Awards for Cinematography. The Bob Miller ACS Technical & Innovation Achievement Award, developed in honour of, and to the memory of the fluid head inventor Bob Miller. The Bob Miller ACS Technical & Innovation Achievement Award will be presented for the first time at the 2015 ACS National Awards for Cinematography in Hobart. For more information or to nominate for this Award contact Ron Johanson at
VIDEOCRAFT chooses Fujinon Cabrio Lenses
Videocraft has updated its rental fleet with five of the very latest Fujinon Cabrio lenses that include three 19x90mm, one 85-300mm and one 14x35mm wide angle lens. Videocraft Victoria rentals manager George Pana said, The Fujinon Cabrio lenses have been some of the most popular lenses weve ever had in our rental fleet. Our customers particularly like the fact that they are lightweight, versatile and help produce great images on cameras such as the Sony F5, F55, F65 and ARRI ALEXA. The Fujinon PL 19-90mm and 85-300mm Cabrio lenses feature an exclusive detachable servo drive unit, making them suitable for use as a standard PL lens. The Cabrios also feature flange focal distance adjustment, macro function and are LDS (Lens Data System) and /i metadata compatible. With 19-90mm and 85-300mm focal ranges and weighting only 2.7kg and 3.3kg respectively including servo motors, these lenses have some of the longest focal range available in lightweight zooms. The 14-35mm Cabrio is comfortable to use with todays smaller 4K cameras and aimed at camera operators looking for a lightweight zoom that can be used handheld and to capture wide angles in tight spaces. At T2.9, with 200-degree focus rotation and its detachable digital servo drive the 14-35mm Cabrio can be used as a self-contained ENG-style lens or a cine style lens. When used without the drive, industry-standard cine motors can be fitted. George Pana concluded, For our clients who want great quality lenses that give them the ultimate in flexibility and shooting options its hard to beat the Fujinon Cabrio lenses.
IT CANT POSSIBLY BE XMAS ALREADY!!Not quite, but heres a reminder about The Shadowcatchers, and for you to get in early and organise a copy for someone special, or for yourself.
AFTRS Open has a range of short Cinematography courses in the coming months. September highlights include Camera Assistants Workshop with Erika Addis (only held once a year) and Modern Cinematography with Ellery Ryan ACS, plus in November theres Lighting Fundamentals with Anna Howard ACS. Camera Assistants Workshop with Erika Addis ~ 15 - 19 September Modern Cinematography with Ellery Ryan ACS ~ 27 - 28 September Lighting Fundamentals ~ 17 - 21 November
AFTRS OPEN DAY: SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 10am-4pm
AFTRS opens its doors to all just once a year - so for those who are keen to take a look around one of the best film schools in the world or who are interested in studying one of the new courses on offer in 2015, Open Day is a great way to see what is going on at Australia's national screen arts and broadcast school.
The Little Death - 10 Double Passses ~ Courtesty of eOne
ACS National Supporter eOne are releasing the Australian comedy, THE LITTLE DEATH on September 25, and have 10 double passes to giveaway to ACS members.
A comedy about sex, love, relationships and taboo, The Little Death is a laugh-out-loud funny, honest and ultimately moving look at the secret sex lives of five ordinary couples. Maeve has a dangerous sexual fantasy that Paul struggles to fulfill, Evie and Dan reignite their spark with role-play, Rowena discovers she finds pleasure in her husband Richards pain, while Phil finds a newfound love for his wife Maureen in her quieter moments, and Monica and Sam become caught up in a dirty and chaotic phone call.
ACS MERCHANDISE: NEW STOCK HAS ARRIVED!
ACS HOODIE $35.00
Available from David Lewis ACS
ACS Laurels Now Available
If you've been successful at any of our ACS Awards from 2012 and you'd like a way to make people aware of it, we now have available our ACS Laurels. Contact Ron Johanson ACS with a formal request listing the Awards you've received and we'll send them to you for your use. See the examples above.
GRIFFITH FILM SCHOOL PRESENTS - Lord David Puttnam Seminar Series
This is your chance to hear, see and speak to the Producer of Chariots of Fire, The Mission and Midnight Express (and more) - Lord David Puttnam. David has won 10 Academy Awards, 25 BAFTAs and the Palme D'Or for his films.
LEND A HELPING HAND
Its been providing financial and emotional support to members of the cinema industry for more than eighty years! It was founded in the years of the Great Depression by people in exhibition and distribution, to help colleagues who had fallen on hard times. More recently, the MPIBS has extended its support to the production and post-production sectors. Beneficiaries are young and old, working and retired. The MPIBS is a safety net, which enables our friends and colleagues to be cared for when they need it most. But the Society needs your help to continue its work. Please visit the MPIBS web page (or put MPIBS in your search engine) for information about how to donate. You could be helping one of your friends or colleagues.
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