Peter Benison CSC John Bartley CSC, ASC Peter Benison CSC

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Pompeii
talks
Wine with
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Peter
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FEATURES – volume 5, No. 10 March 2014
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Love among the Ruins: Glen MacPherson csc, asc talks Pompeii
By Fanen Chiahemen
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Capturing the Modern Relationship in Wine Country
with Peter Benison csc
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Cover: Kiefer Sutherland stars as Senator Corvis in Pompeii. Photo: Caitlin Cronenberg
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February 2014 Vol. 5, No. 9
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2 • Canadian Cinematographer - March 2014
I
t’s a given when working production in the film and television industry that
you spend long hours on the set. But how long is too long – 12, 14, 20
hours – before it becomes dangerous? This is an issue that has plagued our
industry for decades and continues to be a problem. Perhaps, even more so now
with tightened budgets and the propensity these days for unrealistic shooting
schedules.
I recently spoke with a crew member who says she routinely works 12-hour days
and often more. What had her spooked was after working two back-to-back
15-hour days, while driving home she unknowingly buzzed through a red light.
Snapping back to reality on the other side of the intersection, she pulled over to
compose herself because she couldn’t remember the last 30 seconds of driving.
She had fallen asleep at the wheel. This worker said she felt compelled to work
long hours and keep quiet, not because she wanted to, but worried about being
branded a whiner, costing her future work. So much so, she asked that I not use
her name or her job function.
There have been numerous studies showing the correlation between long working days and worker fatigue. Productivity and alertness drop, while mistakes
and injuries rise accordingly. Research conducted by the Stanford Center for
Sleep Sciences and Medicine shows that people who repeatedly worked extreme
hours did just as poorly on a road track obstacle course as drunk drivers. I can’t
imagine any producer wanting a drunken crew on set.
In his poignant 2006 documentary Who Needs Sleep the legendary Haskell Wexler asc tackles the issue of extreme working hours in the American film industry
and the toll it takes on the families, health and lives of below-the-line crews.
Wexler highlights the 1997 death of camera assistant Brent Hershman, who fell
asleep behind the wheel while driving home after a 19-hour day on the set of
the movie Pleasantville. Previous to that fatal day, Hershman had worked four
15-hour days. The documentary also underscores the 12on/12off movement for
better working hours, eye-opening sleep deprivation studies, personal brushes
with death, and the appalling inaction by unions, state and federal governments.
The entire doc has recently been posted to Vimeo and should be mandatory
viewing for anyone in our industry and for every film student.
In Canada, regulations governing work hours for film and television crews seem
to range from grey areas to non-existent, and it’s usually the producer signalling
when the day is done. Of course, there are crew members who like the work
situation just the way it is, thankful for the overtime; that is if you’re not on a
daily flat rate. But is the extra cash really worth jeopardizing your life? I think
not. Perhaps regulations are needed to protect us from ourselves.
In The News
Rene Macura
Debbie Allen presented the Television Movie/Miniseries Award to first-time ASC nominee Jeremy Benning csc for National Geographic Channel’s Killing Lincoln.
Member News
Jeremy Benning csc took home the award in the TV movie/miniseries category for his work in Killing Lincoln at the 28th Annual American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Awards for
Outstanding Achievement, held on February 1 in Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, the feature film Dallas Buyers Club, shot by Yves
Bélanger csc, is one of the nominees for a Best Picture Oscar, it
was announced in January. The Academy Awards ceremony is
scheduled to take place on Sunday, March 2.
UK’s Cinesite Launches Montreal
Studio, Hiring 3D Generalists
U.K.-based visual effects house Cinesite in January announced it
was opening a Montreal studio. The new, high specification facilities at 250 St-Antoine West cover 26,000 square feet and have
capacity for 250 artists. The facility will operate under a unified
pipeline between London and Montreal, with connectivity provided by Sohonet. The company also announced it was recruiting
for the new Montreal studio. The first project to be completed
at the new location will be the Guy Ritchie film The Man from
U.N.C.L.E. for Warner Brothers.
Whites Makes Multi-Year In-Kind
Donation to TIFF
Penny Watier Joins A.C. Lighting Inc.
as Chief Operations Officer
William F. White International in January announced that it has
signed an official agreement for an in-kind donation to TIFF.
Valued at $100,000, the gift will be used to provide critical
support to film and media education and the development of
Canadian filmmakers who participate in TIFF programs. The
four-year agreement will see Whites provide the first and second
place winners of the annual TIFF Student Film Showcase with
significant equipment rental grants through to 2017. Whites will
also provide education and training to TIFF’s family and youth
programming initiatives through leadership development workshops in conjunction with Whites’ recently-launched Education
and Training Department. The TIFF Student Film Showcase
shines a spotlight on the best new short films by post-secondary students from across the country, giving Canada’s emerging
young filmmakers a chance to show their work and participate in
career-building workshops and panel discussions with industry
professionals.
A.C. Lighting Inc. recently announced the appointment of Penny Watier as chief operations officer. Watier will report directly to
the company’s managing director, Jean-Francois Canuel. Watier’s
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Canadian Cinematographer - March 2014 •
902-404-3630
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role has been newly created within the organization as a result of
its growth in the North American market. Watier comes to A.C.
Lighting Inc. with over 25 years’ experience in the media industry. She has held leadership roles in the sales and rental divisions
of such companies as ARRI Canada, Strand Lighting, William F.
White and PS Production Services.
Paramount Reportedly To Stop
Releasing Pictures on Film
Catherine Legault
TFCA Launches Doc Fund in
Honour of Peter Wintonick
Peter Wintonick
The Toronto Film Critics Association in January announced the
Peter Wintonick Documentary Fund. The TFCA established
the fund to commemorate the legacy of Wintonick, a writer, director and editor whose work included the 1992 documentary
Manufacturing Dissent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, which he
co-directed with Mark Achbar and on which he was a cinematographer; and the 1999 documentary Cinéma Verité: Defining
the Moment. Wintonick, who died in November, was known
around the world as Canada’s documentary ambassador. During the TFCA awards ceremony, a $5,000 cheque went to his
daughter, filmmaker Mira Burt-Wintonick, as the first recipient of the annual fund. TFCA President Brian D. Johnson said
the fund will be awarded annually to an emerging documentary
filmmaker. Meanwhile, Hot Docs announced the launch of Doc
Ignite’s newest crowd-funding campaign, featuring Be Here Now,
an intimate portrait of Wintonick and his lifelong obsession with
imagining a better world. Doc Ignite is an online crowd-funding
service that assists independent Canadian documentary filmmakers in building audiences and raising support for projects in
development.
4 • Canadian Cinematographer - March 2014
Paramount Pictures has become the first Hollywood studio to
stop releasing major pictures on film in the United States, according to media reports earlier this year. Martin Scorsese’s The
Wolf of Wall Street was the first major motion picture the studio released entirely on digital formats in America, according
to the Los Angeles Times. Previously, the kind of films the studio
would release solely on digital were smaller budget productions
like documentaries. The studio will continue to make film prints
available for overseas markets in Asia and Latin America, the
newspaper said.
Meanwhile, Technicolor closed its lab in Glendale, California, in
December after less than three years in operation.
SESLER Rebrands, Announces
New Website
SESLER, the international management agency based in Los
Angeles and Toronto, announced the launch of a new branding
campaign and website. This year the agency celebrates its 20th
anniversary as a top-tier talent agency representing cinematographers and production designers.
Codes Pro Media Launches
New Online Store
Media supplier Codes Pro Media recently announced the launch
of a new online store featuring more than 100,000 products,
including hard drives, networking supplies, displays, computer
accessories and more. The site, which can be found at shop.codespromedia.com, is fully searchable and includes direct product
comparisons and accurate stock availability.
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Love among the Ruins
Glen MacPherson csc, asc
Pompeii
talks
By Fanen Chiahemen
W
Caitlin Cronenberg
ith Pompeii, Paul W. S.
Anderson, of the Resident Evil franchise, serves
up another apocalypsethemed blockbuster, only
the British director’s latest
offering is more period piece than sci-fi. Set in
79 AD, Pompeii, which is in theatres now, tells
the story of Milo, a slave turned indomitable
gladiator, who is in love with the daughter of a
wealthy merchant. But the gladiator’s beloved,
Cassia, has been unwillingly betrothed to a corrupt Roman senator, and as Mount Vesuvius
erupts in a torrent of blazing lava, Milo must
fight his way out of the arena to save his true
love while the once magnificent Pompeii
collapses around him.
Milo (Kit Harington) and Cassia (Emily Browning) in TriStar Pictures’ Pompeii.
6 • Canadian Cinematographer - March 2014
George Kraychyk
Anderson has gravitated towards 3D shooting in recent years,
including The Three Musketeers and Resident Evil: Afterlife – both
shot by director of photography Glen MacPherson csc, asc – and
with all the volcanic ash and lava bombs, Pompeii in 3D could
translate into a heightened experience for audiences. MacPherson is quick to point out that Pompeii transcends the 3D action movie genre. “It’s a love story, as well as an action-adventure
story,” the DP says. “There’s lots of killing, but there’s also lots
of hugging and kissing too. There’s something heart-wrenching
about the love story with all this ash falling.”
When approaching the movie, MacPherson and Anderson, now
in their fourth director-DP collaboration, watched “a lot of disaster movies, volcano movies and gladiator movies,” MacPherson
recalls. “We borrowed the stuff that really worked and booted
stuff that didn’t work.” They also made the decision to shoot 4K.
“There are over 500 visual effects shots in the film incorporating
our images, so we needed the resolution for Mr. X to work with,”
MacPherson explains. “We also did some post moves and blowups that took advantage of the higher pixel count. It’s also an easy
downrez to the 2K delivery resolution. On the last project, I shot
5K with the RED EPIC, framing for 4K, just to have that extra
space around the image, but the extra data handling and storage
that caused wasn’t worth the effort. I don’t think we ever used any
of that extra image data.”
Caitlin Cronenberg
For Pompeii, which was shot at Cinespace’s 777 Kipling Studios
in Toronto’s west end, Anderson wanted a darker, grittier, more
contrast-y look than Resident Evil, opting to reflect real life in the
city of Pompeii. Early on, the production decided to incorporate
the atmospheric motif of drifting smoke in almost all the shots.
“In every set we put incense in little pots or oil lamps, so it was always smoking,” MacPherson says. “It was a lot of work. In every
take we were putting more incense in. I think we’ve gone through
all the incense in Toronto.”
To be able to change the light in the set quickly, MacPherson
relied on a dimmer board operator. “We put a giant bounce, a
white fabric, on the roof of the studio. And I had about 35 T12s
– 12K tungsten lights – in a row, all bouncing into that bounce,
and they were also on a dimmer so if it was a day scene we could
turn them all on,” the DP says. “And I used the 100K SoftSun
as a sun source. We had two of them. So we would kill the SoftSun and reduce the bounce light when we were shooting a dusk
scene.”
MacPherson points out that because the story is set in 79 AD
there was little variety in the light sources. “Basically daylight,
moonlight and firelight, and it took some trial and error to cre-
Caitlin Cronenberg
But the crew still had to find ways to create a number of different
looks, reflecting the scope of the story, on the same set. One 200foot long street set was used for multiple scenes, “so the same set
could be used for sunny day, night time, dusk, and post-eruption
when the sky is covered with ash,” MacPherson explains. “We
had to figure out how to have all that in the air and ready to
light. We could be moving from a night scene into destruction
and devastation.”
Top: On a big-budget production like Pompeii, “You’re like a general controlling your
army,” says DP Glen MacPherson csc, asc (centre with headsets). “You’re on the
walkie-talkie and on headsets to be in constant communication with the 3D crew.”
Middle: Severus (Jared Harris) and his wife Aurelia (Carrie-Anne Moss) in TriStar
Pictures’ Pompeii. Bottom: Main unit camera crew, from left to right, Dean Stinchcombe (1st AC), Ben Smith (A cam convergence/3D), Michael Carr (B cam 1st AC),
Glen MacPherson csc, asc (DP), Ari Magder (B cam convergence/3D) Robert Stecko
(A Cam operator)and Dave Sheridan (B Cam operator).
Canadian Cinematographer - March 2014 •
7
ate the firelight effect. I hate really bad firelight effects,” the DP
confides. So he and gaffer Mike Hall tested various fire flicker
effects, none of which produced satisfying results. “Then one day
Mike showed me something – he had taken a couple of tungsten AURASOFT units and rewired them. The AURASOFTs are
large circular soft light units with six bulbs in the centre of a
soft reflector,” MacPherson explains. “Mike wired the six bulbs
separately and plugged them into a flicker generator. This gave us
one big 6K soft source with a very nice flicker pattern. The light
dances on the actors’ faces in a very convincing way. We ended up
with four of these units on the film and used them to light some
big spaces. It was awesome. I’m stealing it forever; that’s my new
firelight effect.”
While there were many things MacPherson enjoyed about the
shoot, he particularly relished shooting in the gladiator cells. “I
liked the set because there’s night-time, daytime, morning, and
the whole roof opens up at one point and a bunch of
guys who are fighting up there tumble down into the
cells. And there’s a huge shaft of daylight up there,” he
says. “We lit with a bunch of T12s coming in through
windows, and they would light the ground, and we used
the old 4K soft lights for a little more ambience. There
are lots of different moods in that one set.”
Top: Cinematographer Glen MacPherson csc, asc (centre with headset) and
director Paul WS Anderson (right) on the set of TriStar Pictures’ Pompeii.
Bottom: Kit Harington stars as Milo. Right: Sasha Roiz as Proculus.
8 • Canadian Cinematographer - March 2014
All the action was captured on the RED EPIC camera, mostly because of the 3D, MacPherson reports,
explaining that the production wanted a system that
would move fast. “They just record to cards and you
don’t need to have any umbilical cords or any codecs
or anything,” he says. “We could take the 3D cameras
with the REDMAG cards, press record and let it go,
just like how we did on Resident Evil: Retribution. Once
you put the cards in; you can unplug all the 3D paraphernalia and send it anywhere you want. We wanted
to put together a system where we didn’t have to haul
recording towers and all that.”
Visual effects are part and parcel of blockbuster movies, and
having done several films of this genre, MacPherson knows
intuitively how to take VFX into consideration when lighting. For example, “if there were a lightning strike in a scene,”
he collaborated closely with the effects supervisor, he says.
“Because if I start putting lightning in there, that ties them
in because the whole background has to have a lightning
effect.”
MacPherson, who is now based in Los Angeles, muses on
the irony of having become established in the arena of blockbuster 3D shooting, considering his roots. “I started out
with small movies, where you drive up to the set with your
truck and you start lighting,” he says. “But on a movie like
this, everything has been lit for three weeks, and they want
to be shooting about 15 minutes after we arrive. I’m lighting
with blueprints of the set to make sure everything you need
is up there because you don’t have time to do it later.
“And you’re on the walkie-talkie and on headsets to be in
constant communication with the 3D crew,” he continues.
“You’re like a general controlling your army.”
George Kraychyk
MacPherson adds that he relied on Zeiss Ultra Prime lenses,
“and lots of them. We had four full sets of lenses, two sets per
unit. I like them because they’re contrast-y. Ultra Primes are
smaller for 3D, so we were able to keep our footprint small.
And they also don’t have floating elements. They’re small,
they don’t move, they stay lined up; everything about them
is perfect for 3D. I also like using the Zeiss Ultra Primes
when shooting with 3D rigs because of their lighter weight
and uniform size and because they don’t have a floating
element design. Also, because one camera is always pointing straight down on the 3D rig, it can be hard on lenses
with floating elements. Over time the elements will ‘float’
and cause alignment issues, especially with the wider focal
lengths. Lens pairs that used to line up to each other will
suddenly be impossible to align as the optical centre shifts.”
DP Glen MacPherson csc, asc (centre) on the set of TriStar Pictures’ Pompeii.
Pompeii in 3D
I
n order to capture 3D images, you need two cameras each capturing a different perspective. There
are a lot of different rigs available that allow you
to mount the cameras and align them to each other
and make adjustments to the 3D. However, there are
not a lot of complete systems available that address
capturing, monitoring, on-the-fly 3D adjustments, mobility and flexibility that is needed to be able to shoot
as fast and as easily as a 2D project. On previous 3D
films we found ourselves spending many weeks in prep
modifying and cobbling together equipment from various rental houses to build a 3D system that worked
the way we like to work.
So one day my partner Vern Nobles and I decided to
build our own system. We call it the Cinesail
3D System. It basically consists of modified
3Ality rigs paired with our proprietary support system that makes for very fast lens
changes and camera alignment. Plus the entire
system is extremely mobile and self-contained.
3D capture, 3D monitoring, convergence stations, directors’ monitors and data management are all contained in extremely mobile,
quick set-up carts and are always ready to
shoot. We have used our system on Resident
Evil: Retribution, Pompeii, Katy Perry’s “Wide
Awake” music video, and several commercials
with terrific results, and I’m very happy with
it. SIM Digital is now representing our system
in Canada.
– Glen MacPherson csc, asc
Canadian Cinematographer - March 2014 •
9
Capturing the Modern Relationship
in Wine Country with
Peter Benison csc
By Mike Palermo
Special to Canadian Cinematographer
Photos courtesy of the crew
10 • Canadian Cinematographer - March 2014
I
n September 2013, I had the privilege of working with
Peter Benison csc, shooting Sergio Navarretta’s sophomore feature The Colossal Failure of the Modern Relationship. The independent film follows middle-aged
couple Freddy and Cat as they attempt to rekindle
their relationship with a romantic getaway to wine
country. However, things get complicated when Freddy’s boss,
Richard – with whom Cat has had an affair – interrupts their
otherwise idyllic trip for two.
“I would consider the
movie a comedy with dramatic elements, [although]
it doesn’t follow the classic
style of comedy. It is truer
to life. It questions the institution of marriage and
examines the modern relationship using food and
wine as a metaphor and the
lush Niagara wine country
as a backdrop,” Navarretta
explains.
When it came to the director of photography, Navarretta was adamant about
teaming up with Benison. “I worked with Peter
on my last feature film (Looking for Angelina), so
I was extremely comfortable that he would create
gorgeous images with limited time,” Navarretta
says. “He can react spontaneously to any situation and there is never a compromise with him.
Peter can work under any circumstance.”
Benison’s ability to thrive under less than ideal
conditions was paramount given the budgetary
constraints, which were exacerbated by having
to shoot somewhat prematurely. “Our lead actor,
Enrico Colantoni, only had a limited window of
availability before he was to start a new series,”
Benison says. “I figured the budget would be a
challenge, but it was restricted further by having
to shoot earlier than we originally anticipated.”
“We had a very tight schedule and a micro crew
so it was important that we were light on our feet
and ready to move set-ups quickly,” Navarretta
adds. “I told Peter I wanted to work with natural
and practical light as much as possible.” Conversely, the director wanted to avoid the “reality
TV” look that has become commonplace as of
late. “There seems to be a trend recently towards
films that are hyper-real, but I still wanted to
take people on a journey – a magical weekend
away. I wanted the look to be saturated, warm
and colourful, and I knew Peter could pull that
off even with our limited means.”
“‘A small movie with a big heart’ was always the mantra,” Benison concurs. “There was always a realistic view of what we should
attempt based on the resources available to us. Right from the
get-go, I knew we would have to consider a lighting package that
didn’t require a generator or large electric crew.”
With that in mind, the cinematographer turned to William F.
White’s Cher Merlo, head of the White’s Interactive, who suggested the company’s Viral Van program. The Viral Van contains
a modest but essential mix
of tungsten, HMI, and
Kino Flo lights, with a
decent selection of stands,
flags and grip kit, all packaged in a ready-to-drive
Sprinter van.
“Although I hadn’t used it
before, they were great to
suggest it,” Benison says.
“Until we opened it on
day one, I had no idea how
well organized it was; every cubic centimetre had a
purpose – and label – and
there just seemed to be a
little of everything.”
Previous page: Cat (Krista Bridges)
and Richard (David Cubitt) take a
stroll through a vineyard.
Above: Sergio gives Enrico some
notes for the dinner party scene
To round out the package he requested a few extras, like a 22” Jem Ball, Bar Flys and Source 4
lekos, as well as a Rosco Litepad kit. “The Jem
Ball is always useful to get a nice reflection in
the eyes, Bar Flys are easy to use in tight spaces
and the honeycomb grid eliminates bulky barn
doors. I have a collection of gobos for the Source
4s and find them useful to cast some interesting
background shadows,” Benison says.
He adds that the crew was “careful to select angles that we could light with our limited package.” Of course being a small indie with such a
conservative lighting kit meant that Benison still
needed to rely on a few tricks to deal with the
lower-light scenes. “We used whatever was available at the scene and built on that,” he says. “I
remember using some car headlights for a restaurant sign on a night exterior.”
Benison is quick to give credit where credit is
due: “It was gratifying that industry suppliers
jumped to help out. SIM Digital were no exception and made available what they could in spite
of it being a very busy time of year for the business in Toronto.”
When the original camera supplier fell through
(literally days before principal), SIM Digital
came to the rescue, supplying the production
Canadian Cinematographer - March 2014 •
11
The wine cellar was hard to light, but ultimately proved to be gorgeous on screen
with gear. However, because it was so last minute, all of their
normal kit was vouched for, and we were essentially given whatever they had left on the shelf – three early serial number RED
ONE MXs with thousands of hours apiece, whatever support
gear they could spare, and an odd-couple mix of modern and
vintage zooms (the shoot’s primary lenses).
Unlike wine, a “vintage” lens doesn’t necessarily age well, either.
In the case of Colossal, we were trying to match an extraordinarily
sharp Cabrio 19-90 t2.9 with a 30-year old Cooke Varotal 25250 t3.9 (a behemoth in size, weight and breathing). Fortunately,
Schneider Classic Soft filters helped Benison match the newer
glass with the inherently softer Cooke. “The main thing I tried to
be careful of was the use of diffusion. I made the final choice by
eye from the monitors when the focal lengths were selected. Any
slight colour variations would be easily balanced at the colour
correction stage,” the DP explains.
Some gaps in the gear were filled in by Niagara College, which
also provided catering, a couple of locations, and even some
students from their television and film program, the latter of
which admittedly made Navarretta a little nervous. “I think the
true experiment [on the film] was partnering with a college and
apprenticing young students. I think that was exciting, but it
certainly added an element of uncertainty to each day,” he says.
12 • Canadian Cinematographer - March 2014
Benison initially mirrored Navarretta’s uncertainty. “Some [students] weren’t there every day, depending on their course schedules. It made it difficult to assess each crew member. I had to
quickly figure out the level of experience available to me on each
day and adjust how much I should attempt,” he says. “On the
other side of the coin, you would also see some inexperienced
crew take on two or three jobs at once. You can tell right away
they will go far!”
Things became more streamlined when gaffer Kyle Trippler was
brought on set. “Kyle could only come on board a few days after
we started, so when he showed up that was a welcome relief for
me,” Benison says. “I had already been on a couple of shows with
him earlier in the year so it was great to have that shorthand.”
Because there was such a variety of crew – from green to experienced – after evaluating their capabilities, Trippler was then able
delegate Benison’s requests to the less experienced crew, allowing
the director of photography to focus on more creative matters.
In order to maximize time further, it was always part of the plan
to use two cameras where possible – Benison operating one, and
me operating the other. “DPs complain that where they have
to put the lights, to be out of the way for the wide shots, may
not be as flattering as if they could rearrange them for closer
shots. The sound department doesn’t like it either because they
have to keep microphones further away for the wide frame,” he
Above: With a traditional dolly and operator beyond the budget, Benison’s homemade ladder dolly was used to great effect.
says. Important points, but Benison admits it’s the nature of
the beast. “However, it is a fact of life these days, not only
for speed of coverage but also to get consistent performances
between frame sizes.”
As with any low-budget shoot, you often have to think outside
the box to get traditionally expensive or time-consuming set-ups
that otherwise wouldn’t be feasible. Benison reinforces this creative mentality. “When the ‘usual’ is not available, you are forced
to try things you wouldn’t normally do. Sometimes it doesn’t
work out but often it does, and then that technique goes into
your repertoire,” he says.
One example of such a tool is Benison’s home-made ladder dolly.
Using skateboard wheels, a couple of 2x2s for a brace (to mount
a high-hat on) and a ladder, he was able to create a very functional, and surprisingly versatile dolly that we used throughout the
shoot. The extension ladder is laid out sideways for the track and
can be brought anywhere easily and with minimal set-up time.
“I knew we wouldn’t be able to use a conventional dolly with operator as it was beyond the scope of our show, so the ladder dolly
was a perfect substitute,” he continues. “[The ladder] can be put
on sawhorses, apple boxes or whatever happens to be around. A
quick, easy and portable solution, which we used in the vineyard
and even around dinner table scenes.”
Peter Benison csc watches blocking.
“Being up so close to the whole winemaking experience made me realize how similar it is to filmmaking.
You take some soil (equipment), plant some seeds
(script), add sunshine (an enthusiastic cast and crew),
and you end up with tons of grapes (data). After
a little magic fermentation (editing), you end up
with something so much grander that the sum of its
parts.”
Peter Benison csc
Canadian Cinematographer - March 2014 •
13
Another item in Benison’s toolkit that got a lot of use was an
extendable rake, normally used to pull snow off roofs. By throwing away the rake, you’re left with a multi-purpose extendable
aluminum pole. “We used it as a boom extension for lights, a
support for a tarp for rain cover, attached it to wall spreader
brackets to use as a polecat, etc. At $25 it was one of my better
investments,” the DP muses.
And what would an independent shoot be without a few guerilla
shots? “A camera looking out the back of a van allowed us to
get some great travelling shots of the cast driving through scenic
Niagara-on-the-Lake,” Benison recalls. “Niagara Falls itself is so
lit up at night that it was easy to jump out of a vehicle and grab
some handheld shots of our cast strolling through town as well.”
One aspect that couldn’t be controlled, regardless of the cinematographer’s ingenuity, was the weather. “We were originally supposed to shoot a big exterior dinner scene at the Ravine Winery,”
Benison says. “They had a very unique set-up whereby poles are
set up next to the vineyard and draped with flowing fabric as a
cover. Tables are set up next to the vines and dinner is served – an
amazing look!”
However, when it started to rain, the production was forced to
go with Plan B, something Benison was apprehensive about. “I
wasn’t looking forward to the alternative, which was [Ravine Winery’s] wine cellar in the basement – a low square concrete bunker,
hard to get gear to and harder still to hide lights,” he says.
However, fortune smiled on us in the form of gorgeous looking
candlelight and a series of practical outlets that lined the ceiling.
“Once we got going, with the rows of barrels in the background
and dripping candelabra, I was surprised at how many shots we
were able to get, and they looked fantastic. It’s these wonderful
surprises you hope you get handed every so often,” Benison says.
Navarretta was also surprised because “it was literally a concrete
room with wood barrels and a long dinner table. Yet the way
Peter lit the room, using [practical] light bulbs, candles, and a few
of our smaller lighting units, gave the shots a gorgeous texture.
The footage looks so warm and romantic.”
You wouldn’t know it was a low-budget independent film shot on
a tight schedule by looking at the footage, and that’s something
both the director and director of photography are happy about.
For Navarretta, the reasons for being able to pull off such high
standards are obvious. “Just because technology changes and gets
faster, cheaper, easier, you still have to tell good stories,” he says.
“There is still an art form and a craft that fundamentally needs
to be there in order for the magic of cinema to transport people.
Peter has that art and craft inherently.”
Above: Peter Benison csc contemplates a shot.
Below: Freddy (Enrico Colantoni) and Darren (Tony Nappo) share a drink
14 • Canadian Cinematographer - March 2014
Benison’s take is more anecdotal. “Being up so close to the whole
winemaking experience made me realize how similar it is to filmmaking,” the director of photography observes. “You take some
soil (equipment), plant some seeds (script), add sunshine (an enthusiastic cast and crew), and you end up with tons of grapes
(data). After a little magic fermentation (editing), you end up
with something so much grander that the sum of its parts.”
I’ll drink to that.
at
the
John
Bartley
with
csc, asc
By Fanen Chiahemen
Although set in the present day, the popular A&E drama series
Bates Motel is framed as a prequel to the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock
classic Psycho. The series imagines the lives of the adolescent Norman Bates and his mother, Norma, before the events portrayed in
the film take place. After a successful first season run, Bates Motel
is back, with the second season shot by New Zealand-born John
Bartley csc, asc. Canadian Cinematographer talks to Bartley, who
also shot the second half of the first season, about what to expect
in Season 2.
Canadian Cinematographer: What would you say is
different this season?
John Bartley csc, asc: We start off with it being kind of
sunny. Norma Bates has painted up the motel. There are some
renovations; we made the office bigger and more usable. Life is
good for Norma; the motel is doing really well. People are staying
there, there are more cars in the parking lot and there are lots of
kids around in the playground. She’s beginning to be accepted
into the community. I like colour, and this season there’s the vegetable garden that’s always in bloom. That was fun to have. One
of the concepts is we don’t want to give the audience too much of
a sense that something’s going to happen. We actually want them
to be surprised when something happens. I think that Season
2 will have a different look than Season 1, particularly because
I had more time to prep on Season 2. [For Season 1] I went
straight from Ireland, where I was shooting Vikings, into Episode 6 of Bates Motel. It was kind of hard to go from Vikings to
Bates Motel! The lighting on Vikings was mostly fire and torches,
a lot different from Bates, which is really more natural, dark and
moody at times. My first day I was in shock, like, “How do we
do this?”
CC: What is your camera and lighting package?
JB: In the first season we used ALEXA cameras with Cooke S4s
and S5s, and we used zooms quite a bit. In the second season we
went to the ALEXA again, but with Panavision Primo lenses. I
felt I liked the Primos better and felt they were softer. They’re
20-year-old lenses. We end up using two cameras a lot to get
through the day and get the shots. Sometimes with 180-degree
pans it’s a little hard to get two cameras in there though.
CC: The motel itself is quite iconic because of the film.
Can you talk about how you light it?
JB: Yes, a lot of people driving by stop and take pictures. As soon
as they see it, they know what it is. I don’t think we connected
anything to the movie except for having the façade of the house
attached to the motel. I always start by trying to make the actors
look good. That’s a big thing for me. It’s an interesting show, and
I think it’s all about the acting. For the most part I light around
them – I light the actors first and then light the background. We
had a bit of a hard time on location dealing with the weather and
the sun when we were doing interiors. If the sun’s out it hits you
all day. Near the end we were shooting in the fall and the sun
goes more to the south and it kind of just came straight in on the
building; it came through the windows and stuff. We controlled
Canadian Cinematographer - March 2014 •
15
Photos by Joseph Lederer
Left, Pete Whyte (1st AD), middle, director and co-executive producer Tucker Gates, right and next photo DP John Bartley csc, asc.
it mostly with big flags and bounces and things like that outside
the windows. And it was hard because a lot of our shots move and
pan around, and you think nothing of doing 180-degree shots,
and you end up looking out the window. And I always like to see
what’s outside the window. I don’t really like to blow them out.
But there were a few occasions where we just had to blow them
out. I like to control the light, so it was a fair bit of work. The key
grip and gaffers worked really hard maintaining that stuff. My
gaffer, Andrew Macleod, and key grip, David Askey, also camera
operator Marty Mcinally and DIT Dwight Hartnett, all played a
big part in the look of Bates. I should also mention the motel and
house were built in just a few short weeks. Mark Freeborn, our
production designer, was very busy.
CC: The night scenes are notoriously suspenseful on the
show. Can you talk about lighting them?
the house, which are kind of hard to work with, and I’ve always
used the Technocrane to get up around there.
CC: On this show you’re shooting all the episodes and
shooting seven days per week. How much time do you
have to prep?
JB: None. I send the gaffer and key grip out, and they go and do
a technical scout. By the time they put in their budgets, they’re
putting in a 13- or 14-hour day. Sometimes we use best boys to
be heads of departments. Sometimes we bring in another key
grip. The show is kind of tough, though, so heads of departments
have a fair bit of responsibility, and it’s tough to do. It would be
nicer to alternate. On the other hand, it’s better to be there all
the time. I’m not a control freak, but it’s nice to be doing it all. I
stay efficient by always being in control and always being there.
JB: At night, the house is lit quite blue behind the motel. We
changed quite a few of the practicals this season to blue mercury vapour lights instead of orange to separate them from the
practicals in the front of the building that are always on at night.
To create moonlight it’s mostly just HMIs up on condors, so
we have quite a few of those. That whole set is built on an old
garbage dump which has a little whiff of methane gas every now
and again. There’s not much there except grass and green land.
We create the suspense most often with camera movement. The
camera moves just about all the time. It moves around corners
and goes in and out of rooms, seeing what’s going on as people
come in and go back and forth.
CC: What do you find most inspires you about the show?
CC: Are you using any interesting tools?
JB: That’s true. Half the time you don’t need them. You put
them in because you think certain things are going to happen.
Then you don’t need them. Also it makes for a darker look, and
you don’t get lights that overlap things. You have to do it quickly
though because these shows work very fast, and once you’ve established something you’re stuck with it for the whole scene.
JB: We do use the Technocrane [telescopic crane] a lot. We had
a 50-footer, and we put it in on a Taurus, which is a four-wheel
drive. That was used a lot this season. We used it for high-angle
shots and getting around and moving on the outdoor staircase of
16 • Canadian Cinematographer - March 2014
JB: I love the actors. Vera Farmiga [who plays Norma Bates] and
Freddie Highmore [who plays Norman Bates] are just wonderful
actors, as is Nestor Carbonell and all the other actors. It’s a real
pleasure to go to work and watch them. I tell the crew I’d rather
have good acting than good lighting and bad acting. If the audience doesn’t like the acting no one’s going to watch good lighting.
CC: You have said that the best professional advice you’ve
ever received is, “Light the set, then turn off half the lights
and shoot.” Can you elaborate?
Tech Column
AMIRA is Ready for Its Close-Up
W
hen a brand like ARRI announces a new camera aimed
at the TV-ENG and documentary segment, it tends to
turn a few heads. Thus, the AMIRA was garnering interest even before the final pricing was released in January – starting at CAN$39,999 and up.
The Sony F5/55 was positioned as a RED killer, though of course
they were much too polite to say that. And the AMIRA? Pretty
much squeezing itself into that same niche, though the Sony offers expansion to make it an acceptable option for feature film
work while AMIRA isn’t looking in that direction lest it cannibalize its siblings in the ALEXA range, including the new “budget”
ALEXA HD.
So what is the AMIRA? It’s a rugged box with sealed internal
components, which as any doc or ENG shooter will testify is
a big plus because they’re more often than not shooting in less
than ideal environmental conditions, and sand, dust, moisture
and critters are constant.
Marcus Düerr, ARRI product manager, debuted the prototype
at the IBC 2013 show and said the instant feedback allowed engineers to make a few usability adjustments for the production
model. “We changed the hand grip to make it easier to grab,
changed the hinge on the viewfinder, reshaped the shoulder plate
to make it rounder and broader and more comfortable, and made
the switches on the side a little bigger for easier access but not
too big so they could be accidentally activated,” he says. “It is all
about balance. You don’t want the camera too light or too heavy,
and from what people are saying we got it right.”
It’s not an ALEXA by a long stretch. There’s no RAW, but there is
ProRes, which is perfect for the niche. It’s built to deliver a set of
specifics at a price. It shares the same Super 35 mm 16.9 sensor
as other ALEXAs but targets 2k/1080 at up to 200 fps to a the
new Compact Flash standard Cfast 2.0 and features in-camera
grading with preloaded looks based on 3D LUTs.
Incidentally, the AMIRA is not compatible with previous CF
cards, but ARRI insists since the new format is an open standard,
the per Gb costs are reduced and there’s an overarching benefit
lower budget productions will appreciate. AMIRA records at
Rec 709 or Log C images using ProRes LT, 422, 422HQ or 444
codecs and has 14 stops of dynamic range, internal ND filters,
4-channel PCM audio at 48k/24 bit, while up front there are
interchangeable lens mount options: PL, PL Broadcast, B4 and
Canon EF.
What ARRI is promoting is the ease of use and weight – about
4kg before lenses – which will appeal to single operators who like
to shoot from the shoulder. A survey of comments from various
forums by those who have had a hands-on introduction suggests
lens choice will be the key for each shooter since some lenses tend
to add weight and make the rig just a little unbalanced.
Otherwise, the pluses from feedback seem to be that switches and
Canadian Cinematographer - March 2014 •
17
Photos courtesy of ARRI.
controls are all on the right-hand side and easily accessed. There’s
a high-res OLED eyepiece, which flips to the left or right, and
a fold-away LCD monitor. For ENG shooters speed is of the essence, and the AMIRA is designed to be good to go right from
the case which again is a plus for what’s been called the “run-andgun” market, as several commentators have noted.
The main goal of the AMIRA is usability, stresses Düerr. “The
whole concept is around the ergonomics so you can change the
camera setting without looking, without having to go to the
manual,” he says, adding that the weight distribution – depending which lens brand is used – is as close to optimal as possible.
“A lot of people were comparing it to the (ARRIflex) 16SR,” he
says of the 16 mm film camera introduced in 1975 that became
an industry standard at the time. “It really combines the image
quality of the ALEXA with robust reliability and smaller size,
which makes shoulder shooting comfortable. It’s slim so it sits
close to your head. People are saying it’s the camera they’ve been
waiting for – and really that’s not something from our marketing
department!”
Ian Harvey is a veteran Toronto-based journalist who writes
for a variety of publications and covers the technology sector.
He welcomes feedback and eagerly solicits subject matter ideas
at ian@pitbullmedia.ca.
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18 • Canadian Cinematographer - March 2014
Technicolor_CSC_MagazineAd_b6 2013-03-11
technicolor.com/toronto
Edmonton Film Cooperative wants your unused Arri 35 mm
camera. Do you have film cameras languishing on a shelf? Give it
a new life, give it to a film coop and we will give you a healthy tax
credit. Have a 35BL, a 235, a 435 gathering dust because everyone
is Red cam nuts? Have other great camera accessories? Let us know,
let’s make a deal. Contact Andy @ rentals@fava.ca and work a
great deal.
Short-Term Accommodation for Rent
Visiting Vancouver for a shoot? One-bedroom condo in Kitsilano
on English Bay with secure underground parking, $350 per week.
Contact: Peter Benison at 604-229-0861, 604-229-0861or peter@
peterbenison.com.
Liberty Village Office Space Approximately 1,250 sq ft of fully
furnished, turn-key office space in prime Liberty Village location
available to established television or new media production company in shared office setting. Features include glassed boardroom, 2
closed door offices, internet access, alarm system and shared kitchen. Please reply by email to john@hlp.tv or call John at 647.891.4027
Equipment for Sale
Cooke Speed Panchro 18mm 1.7/T2. “C” Mount, Nice condition
From United Kingdom #572079, asking $1,800.00 Barry Casson
csc Office: 250-721-2113 bcasson@speakfilm.com Canon Wide
angle Lens J11A X 4.5 B4 IRSD and Canon Servo Zoom Control ZSD-300 Value 27 000$ Asking only 3 500$ Sony Camera
Handycam HDR-HC7, 2 Sony Batteries NP-FH100, Sony Wireless
Mic ECM-HW1, Tiffen Filter 37mm UV, Century-Precision ,55 WA
ADAPTER 55WA37, KATA Rain Cover KARC18 Value 2100$ Asking
only 350$, Elmo Suv-Cam SD ELSC5C and accessories New Value 1 200$ Asking only 200$, Anton Bauer UltraLight & Ul Soft
Box Asking only 150$, Frezzi HMI Sun Gun & Frezzi Soft Box Value
1 700$ Asking only 400$, Porta Brace Rain Slicker for Pro Camcorder RS-55 like New Asking only 150$, Script Boy Wireless T.C.
System needs minor repair Asking only 200$, Shure Mixer FP33 &
Porta Brace audio mixer case Asking only 450$, Minolta Lightmetre + Adap.5° 4F Asking only 250$ , Beachteck passive dual XLR
adaptor DXA-5Da like new Value 369$ Asking only 150$, Sony
Monitor SD PVM-14N1U new Asking only 75$, 2 Camera Canon
Dig Rebel 10Mp XTi, Sigma 70-300 F4-5.6 Super C-AF, 4 Canon
Batteries and accessories Asking only 800$, Porta Brace monitor
Case for Panasonic BT-LH910 like new Asking only 100$ andrepaul@me.com or call 514 831-8437 Panasonic AJ-HDX900P 290
drum hours, $7500.00 Canon KJ16ex7.7B IRSE lens, $5000.00
CanonJ11ex4.5B4 WRSD lens, $4500.00 Call Ian 416-725-5349 or
idscott@rogers.com
Canon Wide angle Lens J11A X 4.5 B4 IRSD and Canon Servo
Zoom Control ZSD-300 Value 27 000$ Asking only 3 500$ Sony
Camera XDCAM EX1, 2 Sony Battery BP-U60, 1 Sony Battery BPU30, 1 Sony Wide Conversion Lens X 0,8 VCL-EX0877, Sony AC
Adaptor / Charger BC-U1, 2 Sony SxS 8Gb, 4 E-Film MxR, Porta
Brace Camera Case PB2700IC All in very good condition Value
10 700$ Asking only 3 200$ Porta Brace Rain Slicker RSEX1,
Like new: 125$, Porta Brace Lens Cover LC-M, Chroziel Matt
Boxe S1001, Chroziel Sunshade S1001FF, Chroziel Adaptator S1001158SR, Chroziel Step-down Ring 80mm S100180, Tiffen
Filtre 3X3, FX#1, FX#2, Polariser, Grad ND9 Value 1 545$ Asking
only 400$, Sony Camera Handycam HDR-HC7, 2 Sony Batteries NP-FH100, Sony Wireless Mic ECM-HW1, Tiffen Filter 37mm
UV, Century-Precision ,55 WA ADAPTER 55WA37, KATA Rain
Cover KARC18 Value 2100$ Asking only 350$, Elmo SuvCam SD ELSC5C and accessories New Value 1 200$ Asking
only 200$, Anton Bauer UltraLight & Ul Soft Box Asking only
150$, Frezzi HMI Sun Gun & Frezzi Soft Box Value 1 700$ Asking only 400$, Gitzo Tripod carbon finer legs GI 1380/38/7kit Value
1 200$ Asking only 500$, Porta Brace Rain Slicker for Pro Camcorder RS-55 like New Asking only 150$, Script Boy Wireless
T.C. System needs minor repair Asking only 200$, 3 x ETC Par
Source Four Light with GP TVMP Light Stand Adaptor Asking only
175$, Eartec TD-904 Pro intercom EATD904 Value 1 050$ Asking
only 300$, Shure Mixer FP33 & Porta Brace audio mixer case Asking only 450$, Minolta Lightmetre + Adap.5° 4F Asking only 250$
, Beachteck passive dual XLR adaptor DXA-5Da like new Value
369$ Asking only 150$, Sony Monitor SD PVM-14N1U new Asking only 75$, 2 Camera Canon Dig Rebel 10Mp XTi, Sigma 70-300
F4-5.6 Super C-AF, 4 Canon Batteries and accessories Asking
only 850$, Porta Brace monitor Case for Panasonic BT-LH910 like
new Asking only 100$ andrepaul@me.com or call 514 831-8347
Asahi Pentax spotmeter (just serviced) 425.00 Minolta Colormeter
III F 750.00 Spectra Professional IV 250.00 Spectra Professional IV
A 300.00 Minolta Spotmeter F(need repair) 100.00 Bernard Couture:
p.bc@sympatico.ca; 514-486-2749 Professional U/W housing from
renowned world leader Amphibico. 2006 Sony HVR-A1U camera
with 0.7x wide adapter and all accesories. 2006 Amphibico EVO-Pro
housing with .55x wide conversion and flat port. Rare model built
in small quantity. Most camera functions accessible. About 60-70
dives. Complete overhaul and pressure tested by factory in 2010.
3.5’’ LCD Monitor, rebuilt in 2010. 2 compact Discovery 10W HID
lamps by Amphibico with batteries and chargers. Spare o-ring for
all. Soft and hard carry cases. All in good condition. E-mail or call for
photos and more information. 514-941-2555, daniel@dvdp.ca
BL IV Camera Kit $8,950 Or Best Offer
Arriflex Bl4 Body With Pl Mount, 4 Perf Movement, Variable Shutter,
Full 35Mm Gate, Arriglow Module And Arriglow Groundglass In Red,
Cei Color 4 Video Tap Camera And Elbow, Cei Electronic Reticle Generator, Bl4 Viewfinder Extension, Wideangle Eypiece With Heated
Eyecup, Powercable For Heated Eyepiece, Arriflex 4 X 5 Swingaway
Mattebox, Arri Ff2 Follow Focus With Extension, Whip And 2 Gears,
15Mm Arri Sliding Baseplate Set With 2 X 18” And 2 X 12” Stainless Steel 15Mm Rods, 5 X Arri 1000’ Bl Magazines, 2 X Arri 400’ Bl
Magazines, 3 X Double Power 12 Volt Batteries, 2 X 12 Volt Charges,
Power Cable, Cases For Camera, Mags, Mattebox, Etc.,Film Test Has
Been Shot. gandalf-merlyn@shaw.ca, 604.566.2235 (Residence),
604.889.9515 (Mobile)
FOR SALE 4X4 Petroff Mattebox, barely used. Can be used with
15mm rod support or clip-on. INCLUDES: Single stage (option to add
two more stages); 1X 4X4 tray + 1X 4X5.65 tray; Petroff Eyebrow;
Zacuto lens donut; 15 mm rod support bracket; 85 mm ring adapter.
Bought originally for $650 CDN asking $450 (firm). GREG BISKUP p.
647 405-8644. Email: greg@biskupcine.com 2 Arrilite 2k’s like new
very little use with 4 way barn doors, 5 scrims, 4 2k bulbs, 3 1k
bulbs and Arri case in very good condition $1100 Call 416 712-1125
or mfp123@rogers.com Duncan MacFarlane 2- Transvideo Titan HD
Transmitter and Receiver kits. $3000ea. 2 for $5500. Similar in style
and operation to the Boxx Meridian. 1- Angenieux 25-250 T3.9 Arri
PL mount, std film gears on focus, zoom, and iris (32 pitch-mod 0.8),
lens support and collar, shipping case included $2900 1- Tamron
300mm F2.8 Arri bayonet mount with PL adapter, std film gear on
focus (32 pitch-mod 0.8), 42mm filters: clear, 2 x 85, shipping case
included $900 1- O’Conner 50 fluid head with Mitchell, Mini-Mitchell, 150mm ball bases and tie-downs, 2 quick release plates extra
hardware (pan module needs fluid) $400Contact: stephen.reizes@
gmail.com
JVC GY-DV300 Broadcast Quality camcorder. 4x3 or 9x16
switchable 750 horizontal lines with several extra batteries and carrying case. Plus and external Shure VP88 stereo microphone with
Rycote bracket and wind screen with high wind cover and extra mic
cables. Asking $ 1200.00. Contact Robert Bocking csc 416 636-9587
or rvbocking@rogers.com for more information.
1) Panasonic 3D Professional Full HD Video Camera (AG3DA1) The AG-3DA1 is the world’s first professional, fully-integrated
Full HD 3D camcorder that records to SD card media. The AG-3DA1
will democratize 3D production by giving professional videographers
a more affordable, flexible, reliable and easier-to-use tool for capturing immersive content as well as providing a training tool for educators. At less than 6.6 pounds, the AG-3DA1 is equipped with dual
lenses and two full 1920 x 1080 2.07 megapixel 3-MOS imagers to
record 1080/60i, 50i, 30p, 25p and 24p (native) and 720/60p and 50p
in AVCHD. Camera is very new. Includes Kata Carrying case, 4 batteries. To view photos/questions email frank@tgtvinc.com or
call 416-916-9010. Asking price: $17,500 (includes tax). Will ship
out of province.
2) Proline 17 inch Teleprompter Included is both PC AND Mac
versions for our industry leading Flip-Q teleprompter software. FlipQ automatically “Flips” the secondary output on your laptop so both
the operator and talent will see perfect reading left-right text. The
ProLine 17 standard LCD panels are the lightest weight, lowest
profile designs in their class. In addition, they offer both VGA and
composite video inputs adaptable with any computer output or application. They also offer flexible power options including 100-240V
AC or external 12v DC input. Price includes Tripod attachments and
Pelican carrying case. Complete tool-less set-up. To view photos/
questions email frank@tgtvinc.com or call 416-916-9010.
Asking Price: $2,000 (includes tax).
Sony PMW-F3 with S-Log firmware. Excellent condition low
hours. Kaiser top handle. Screen Protector. 32GB SxS “A
series” high speed card $7900.00 Photos available Gemini
4:4:4 solid state recorder (uncompressed) with eSata and
ThunderBolt, accessories, cables, drive readers and case.
Includes 512GB and 3x 256GB solid state drives. Excellent
condition $ Photos available $4400.00. Contact John Banovich
604-726-5646 or JohnBanovich@gmail.com
Nikkor AF-S VR 500mm F 4 IS ED Lens. Super rare and very hard
to find!!! Serial # 204153 Perfect condition. Not a scratch on it!!!
Only one year old. Included Hard Shell Case, Lens Hood, Lens Strap,
Case strap. Come with Manfrotto Carbon Fiber tripod, Jobu head and
Jobu Mounting Bracket. Asking price $9000.00 gandalf-merlyn@
shaw.ca, 604.566.2235 (Residence), 604.889.9515 (Mobile)
Equipment for sale!! All equipment in excellent shape!!
Panasonic AJHDX900P High Definition Camera, Panasonic Stereo
Microphone, Canon Zoom Lens 8x160 (J20a x 8B4 IRS), Dionic 90
Anton Bauer Batteries & charger, Anton Bauer mini fill light 12 V,
Marshall 7” HD-SDI LCD Monitor & accessories, 2 x Porta Brace
camera bags, Sony Digital Betacam (DVW700) and accessories,
Sachtler fluid head VIDEO 20 III & Sachtler tripod legs fibre & fibre
case. Call 613-255-3200, Total $ 25,000.Panasonic BT-S950P 16:9 / 4:3 SD Field Monitor for Sale (Excellent Condition) - $100. Portabrace included Please contact Christian
at (416) 459-4895 or email cbielz@gmail.com
VIDEO & AUDIO GEAR FOR SALE: (2) HVX-200 Panasonic P2 Camcorders $1,500 each; (1) DSR-1500 Sony DVCAM recorder, $1,500;
(1) Sony DSR-1 DVCAM dockable recorder $1,000; (3) Sony PVV-3
Betacam recorders $500 each; (3) Mitsubishi XL25U video projectors $500 each; (1) Mackie 1604VLZ audio mixer $500; (1) Glidecam
PRO2000 camera stabilizer $200; (1) Glidecam DVPRO RIG camera
stabilizer $300; (1) Yamaha P2075 amplifier 75W stereo/150W mono
$500; (3) HVR-Z1U Sony HDV camcorders $1,000 each; (1) Sony
DSR-300 DVCAM camcorder $1,500; (1) For-A VPS-400D 8 input SDI
switcher $2,700; (2) Sony WRT822/WRR861 wireless transmitter/
receiver – no mic - $750 each; (2) Sony BRC-300 remote control P/T/Z
cameras $1,990 each. Call Ted Mitchener at ZTV Broadcast Services
905-290-4430 or email ted@ztvbroadcast.com.
Services
Flicker-Free HMI & Hi-Speed Cameras available with
operator/gaffer (Toronto)
Includes a new ARRI M18 1800W lensless HMI with Arri 1000Hz
Flicker-Free Ballast, stand, and lots of head cable. It’s as bright
(or brighter) than a T5 but runs on household AC 120V and draws
less than 20Amps. We also have the Sony FS700 Super-35 CMOS
sensor high-speed camcorders with PL, Nikon, Canon, or Pentax
mounts. Great for overcranked product shots on a budget. 60fps,
120fps or 240fps @ 1080p and 480fps @ 720p. Other camera/grip/
electric & 3D support gear available as well. Contact Tim at 1-888580-3274 ext.700 or tim@dashwood3d.com
Need your reel updated? Looking for an editor? I am a CSC
associate member who is also an editor with my own FCP suite. I
am willing to trade my edit suite time in exchange for rental of your
gear, or shooting advice, or both. Please send email to miurabucho@
gmail.com.
Do you travel between Toronto and Hamilton for production every
day? Need a place to: screen dailies, host your production office
that’s close to both? Hill’s Production Services www.hillsvideo.com.
We are a full Service Production Company with cameras and edit
bays for making EPKs. Some grip gear, if you find yourself in the field,
short of one or two items. Hill’s also has office space and a mobile
screening room. Located just off the QEW in Burlington, check us out
905-335-1146 Ask for Rob Hill.
BL III Camera Kit $3750 Or Best Offer gandalf-merlyn@shaw.
ca, 604.566.2235 (Residence), 604.889.9515 (Mobile) ARRIFLEX BL3
BODY WITH PL MOUNT, 4 PERF MOVEMENT, VARIABLE SHUTTER,
FULL 35MM GATE, VIDEO TAP ELBOW, 2 X ARRI 400’ BL MAGAZINES, 2 X POWER CABLE, CASES FOR CAMERA, MAGS.
Camera Classified is a free service provided for CSC members. For all others, there is a one-time $25 (plus GST) insertion fee. Your ad will appear here
and on the CSC’s website, www.csc.ca. If you have items you would like to buy, sell or rent, please email your information to editor@csc.ca.
Canadian Cinematographer - March 2014 •
19
Camera Classifieds
Equipment Wanted
CSC Member Production Notes
30 Vies IV (series); DP Marc Gadoury csc; to April 4, Montreal
Arrow II (series); DP Glen Winter csc & Gordon Verheul csc (alternating episodes); to April 17,
Vancouver
Bang Bang Baby (feature); DP Bobby Shore csc; to March 10, Toronto
Beauty and the Beast II (series); DP David Makin csc (alternating episodes); to April 22, Toronto
A Christmas Horror Story (feature); DP Gavin Smith csc; to March 27, Toronto
Continuum III (series); DP Blk 2 Gregory Middleton csc; Operator/Steadicam Greg Fox;
B Cam Operator Brenton Spencer csc; to April 11, North Vancouver
The Divide (series); Digital Technician Marc Forand; to April 10, Toronto
The Dorm (mini-series); DP Craig Wrobleski csc; to March 5, Calgary
Hannibal II (series); Camera Operator Peter Sweeney; to April 4, Mississauga
Intruders (series); DP Philip Linzey csc; to June 6, Burnaby
Killing IV (series); DP Gregory Middleton csc; to May 3, Burnaby
Northpole (MOW); DP Pierre Jodoin csc; to April 2, Montreal
Reign (series); DP Paul Sarossy csc, bsc, asc; B Operator/Steadicam Andris Matiss; to April 10, Toronto
Rookie Blue V (series); DP David Perrault csc; to June 11, Toronto
The Strain (series); B Camera Operator J.P. Locherer csc; to April 30, Toronto
The Tomorrow People (series); DP David Moxness csc (alternating episodes); to April 7, North Vancouver
Supernatural IX (series); DP Serge Ladouceur csc; Camera Operator Brad Creasser; to April 20, Burnaby
Yamasaka XI (series): DP Daniel Vincelette csc; to December 12, Montreal
You and Me (series); DP/Operator Christopher Ball csc; First Assistant Eddy McInnis;
to March 21, Dartmouth
www.cs c.ca
$4 Januar y 2014
Calendar of Events
20-30, International Film Festival on Art, Montreal,
artfifa.com
MAR
22, CSC Awards, Westin Harbour Castle Conference
Centre, Toronto, csc.ca
CANADIAN
Canadian SoCiety of CinematographerS
PHERS
CINEMATOGRA
SOCIETY OF
david greene csc
digs into
ot
Devilss’sy Kn
Paul Saro
csc, bsc, asc
Empire of Dirt
Carlos Esteves csc
takes on reality
hfR
P
ITS CLOSE-U
READY FOR IN PROGRESS?
OR WORK
Challenge
moXness
dAVId
PEOPLE
TOMORROW
CSC
FEB 10 (V01 #09)
THE
off
foRms TAKe
heLICAm PLAT
28-6, Cinéfranco, Toronto, cinefranco.com
$4 februar y 2014 www.csc.ca
0
09
56698 94903
17/12/2013
19:31
The Adventures of
a Serial Inventor
CSC Wisdom Lecture Series
9
CSC_February_2014.indd 1
16/01/2014 16:13
ry_2014.indd
CSC_Janua
31, CSC Annual General Meeting, Toronto, csc.ca
5-6, Professional Lighting Workshop, Toronto, csc.ca
APR
24-May 4, Hot Docs, Toronto, hotdocs.ca
20 • Canadian Cinematographer - March 2014
1
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Subscribe online at www.csc.ca
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