sept / oct 2009

http://www.nichevideo.com

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com

4 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

phone: 386-774-8881

fax: 386-774-8908

www.markeemag.com

e-mail: [email protected]

366 East Graves Avenue, Suite D

Orange City, FL 32763

Publisher Janet Karcher

Associate PublisherEditor-In-Chief Jon t. Hutchinson

Associate Editor Christine Bunish

Contributing Writers Christine Bunish

Michael Fickes

Mark r. smith

Art Director nate evans

Circulation lynne Bass

386-774-8881

Advertising Gayle rosierSales Director 386-774-4628

Classified/ lynne BassOn-line Sales 386-774-8923

Markee (ISSN 1073-8924) is published bi-monthly byHJK Publications, Inc, 366 E Graves Ave, Ste D,Orange City, FL 32763. Subscription rates: USA $34one year, single copy $5 (back issues $7); Canadaand Mexico $60 per year; all other international $100per year. All subscriptions must be paid in US currency.Markee is a registered trademark of HJKPublications, Inc. Entire contents copyrighted 2009.No portion of this magazine may be reproducedwithout written permission of the publisher.

SUBSCRIPTIONSTo subscribe, change your address or discontinueyour subscription, log on to www.markeemag.comand click “Subscribe” or call 386-774-8881.

HJK PUBLICATIONS, INC.

President John Hutchinson

Vice President Janet Karcher

Vice President Jon t. Hutchinson

MEMBER OF

Q-Ball from Camera Corps

consists of a full dual-mode

color camera, pan and tilt

system, 10:1 zoom optics

and infrared night vision

capability. It weighs less

than 3 pounds and is

weatherproof.

CONTENTSSEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 VOL 24 NO 5

24

ON THE COVER

FEATURES9 Audio Equipment

By Christine Bunish

12 Lighting Equipmentby Christine Bunish

15 Camera Equipmentby Christine Bunish

20 Sound Studiosby Mark R. Smith

and Christine Bunish

24 AtlantaRoad Trip by Mark R. Smith

SPECIAL SECTIONS18 High Definition

Portfolio

19 LightingPortfolio

DEPARTMENTS6 Broadcast TV

7 Making A Scene

8 Biz Tips

29 Classified

30 Inside View

20

online extrasAcross America

World Business

5SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

EDITOR’SNOTE

II’ve been at this job for 10 years; well, a coupleweeks shy of 10 years, but that’s close enough to callit ten years. And I’ve enjoyed my job for all tenyears. Sure, there’ve been up times and down times,but Markee was my passion for all those years. Ilooked forward to coming into the office every day;it was never drudgery, it was never dull. Every issueof Markee brought challenges that made the jobexciting.

This is my last issue. My last issue and the lastissue of Markee. After 24 years of publishing the indus-try’s best trade journal, Markee’s doors have closed.

It’s been a great run! I hope all our readershave enjoyed each issue as much as we have enjoyedpublishing each issue. Our writers, designers, salesreps and everyone involved in the production ofMarkee are the best in the business; they were alltotally dedicated to bringing you, our readers, thebest product imaginable.

Over the years there have been ups and downs,peaks and valleys in the economic climate. Weweathered those. The current downturn, however,does not appear to be near an end.

We’ve heard stories, almost on a daily basis,from film and video industry individuals and compa-nies about how difficult it is today to remain prof-itable. Advertising budgets in large corporationshave been slashed, which means agencies are expect-ed to do more with less. That translates to produc-tion companies cutting their fees to get work. And asthe dominoes continue to fall, post houses, editors,music and sound companies and effects houses havehad to cut their prices. Negotiating for the best (orlowest) price is the norm.

Print publishing does not enjoy the opportuni-ty to negotiate the best price. The US Postal Servicedoes not negotiate on their rates to mail tens ofthousands of magazines every month. Paper manu-facturers do not negotiate the price of paper. Whileit’s possible to find cheaper printers, the quality ofthe final product most often suffers. Publishers,though, are expected to negotiate ad rates with cus-tomers. That’s a tough position to be put in becauseprinting and mailing magazines is not inexpensive.Without a paid subscription base, most publicationscan only print as many pages as were paid forthrough advertising. And as the price of postage,paper and overhead continue to rise the page countin magazines continues to decrease.

Markee has been very fortunate to have had acore of advertisers. Quite a number of companiessupported us over the years on a regular basis.Panasonic and Canon, Niche Video Products, CrewConnection and Payreel, CTG in Atlanta, CCI inFlorida, Omnimusic, Killer Tracks, Megatrax,Firstcom, American Music Company, AssignmentDesk, Locke Bryan Productions, South Coast Filmand Video, Camera Copters, Dempsey Film Group,Willy’s Widgets, Production Outfitters, Glidecam,Premier Studio Equipment, Sony Creative Software,PC&E, Barbizon, Bron Kobold, Producers ChoiceLighting, HB Group, Crawford, Midtown Video,Virginia Film Office, and so many others supportedMarkee through their continuous advertising foryears. I am truly grateful for their support, andMarkee is thankful to have maintained this loyalcustomer base.

More was needed however. There are somemanufacturers, international companies, that placedads in all other trade journals every month exceptMarkee. These companies never hesitated torequest that their new product announcements beincluded in the pages of Markee or on our web sites,for free. These companies never hesitated to requestthat we interview their product managers for inclu-sion in our editorial, for free. Our editorial hasnever been for sale, we have never told anyone wewould run their press or include them in our edito-rial if they would buy an ad. We ran these compa-nies’ press releases, used their photos on our covers,and interviewed them for our features, for free.Their support certainly would have been nice; cer-tainly would have helped with the cost of printing;but they never had any money in their budgets forMarkee. Interesting.

While this is the last print edition of Markee,the Markee web site will remain active as will theMarkee’s ProGear e-zine, and the Markee Film &Video Resource Guide web sites. All of the specialfeatures, Galleries, Stock Footage Guide, Music &Sound Guide, Portfolios, and more will remainaccessible. This issue will also be posted. TheResource Guide will remain searchable as will theProGear site for products.

Thank you all for reading Markee. It’s beenfun, it’s been real. I’ve enjoyed all the interactionwith our readers over the years. I will miss bringingthis publication to you. n

Jon T. HutchinsonEditor-in-Chief

The last hurrah

http://www.dempseyfilm.com


art of the Disney-ABC TelevisionGroup, the ABC Family network hasbrought its Greek series back foranother semester about college kids

being college kids. Ten new episodes slatedto air through November will bring theshow’s total run to more than 50 episodes.

The goal of the show, according to JulesLabarthe, the director of photography, is tocreate a world with “some amount” of wishfulfillment. “We try to enhance the fun andthe joy of youth – where that is appropriate,”Labarthe says.

Labarthe goes on to say that shootingGreek is an activity that is filled with discoveriesabout youth that help to keep him young. “Bydiscovery, I mean the evolution of a scene fromwhat you see when you first read it to whatyou see when it is blocked out and to stillanother idea when you light it,” he says. “Inaddition, we’re all collaborating as we movethrough the process and the director, thegaffer, the actor and everyone else may make acontribution that makes the scene better.”

Even so, the hour-long show has a seven-day shooting schedule, without a second unit.By comparison, hour-long network dramas takeeight days to shoot, with the 8th day devoted tosecond unit work. “We try to shoot 7 or 8 pagesa day,” Labarthe says. “It’s a fast clip, but it is aseries and we’re familiar with the sets.”

Not including LaBarthe, the crewincludes two camera operators, two assistantcamera operators, grip and electric.Depending on the plans for the day, LaBarthewill have eight or 10 people working scenes.

LaBarthe keeps two cameras at workmost of the time, although some movingshots use just one camera – too avoid theproblem of one camera shooting anothercamera. Unlike many shows that have movedto high-definition, Greek shoots remain loyalto film. LaBarthe shoots Super 16 film withArriflex 416 cameras and Cooke S4 lenses,principally prime lenses. “We try to stay on thelong side with longer lenses instead of widerlenses,” LaBarthe says. “I think it gives more ofa feeling of our wish fulfillment idea.”

Camera executions aim for beautifulshots that cast the camera as an actor within

the scene. “The camera ischoreographed by the waya scene is blocked,”LaBarthe says. “The chore-ography hides the camerafrom the audience, whilemaking it into an activeparticipant in the scene.For example, we useTechno cranes in eachepisode to reach intoscenes. Unlike most cranesthat go up and down andsideways, Techno cranesalso telescope and enableelaborate moves. We alsouse dollies constantly toenable actors to completeentire scenes rather thancutting to move the cam-eras around.”

The lighting package aims for a wish ful-fillment mood with standard Mole-Richardson lights including Fresnels andbeam projectors.

Specialty lighting products that con-tribute to the dreamy mood include JemBalls, a fabricated paper lantern made of fab-rics, and Kelvin TILEs, which provide a mix ofsix LEDs that deliver a high-quality, broad-spectrum white light.

Enhancing The Romance Of Youth

LaBarthe points to a scene from theshow’s third episode, called The Rusty Nail, asemblematic of the shows treatment of theromance of youth.

The scene takes place at a party andmoves to a hotel room. College kids in the eraof Animal House (1978) held toga parties.Today’s generation as portrayed on Greekhold military theme parties, and the mencome in full dress military uniforms.

In a scene at the party, two of the charac-ters are dancing. LaBarthe enclosed the charac-ters inside a column of light reminiscent ofromantic 1940’s cinema lighting. “We centereda 6K space light above the actors and overex-posed the film by four stops,” he says. The actor

wore a white military dress jacket, and the lightbounced off of him and onto the girl. We useda dolly to move the camera in a circle aroundthe dancers.

“The effect was a bloom of light aroundthe dancers that also created silhouettes ofthe extras dancing around them on the floor.”

The romance of the moment gets to thekids, and they head off to a hotel. At the doorof the hotel room, the couple remains bathedin soft 1940s cinema lighting. “The feelingsultimately deteriorate as they begin to thinkabout what they are doing,” LaBarthe says.

As the girl steps away from the entranceinto the room, she steps out of the romanticlighting into the harsher lighting of the pres-ent day. As both face the reality of what theyare doing, the aura of romance disappears.

And parents viewing the scene allacross the country breathe a dramatic sighof relief. n

Editor’s Note: In early August, Broadcast TVreported that the Los Angeles-based produc-tion company Lead Balloon was marketing itsonline episodic Coma, Period to distributors. Itdidn’t take long. On August 13, Lead Ballooninked an exclusive distribution deal withonline network Strike.TV. Congratulations.

Shooting Greek

by Michael Fickes

P

bROaDCaST Tv

The goal of shooting the ABC Family series

Greek is to enhance the fun and joy of youth.

http://www.resourceguide.markeemag.com

by Michael Fickes MaKINGASCENE

Extreme Makeover For Smokey BearSmokey gets an extreme

makeover courtesy of Ntropic.

s of this writing, an investigation has not yet drawn conclu-sions about how the lethal and destructive August andSeptember wildfires in California started. According to theU.S. Forest Service, though, human carelessness causes nine

out of 10 wildfires. Worse yet, there are more wildfires than ever today.Forest Service statistics say that fires burned an average 2.9 millionacres in the U.S. every year between 1985 and 1995. Since then, theaverage has shot up to 6 million acres per year.

Where is Smokey when you need him?

Smokey, who turned 65 this year, is still around. He recently madea PSA called Bonfire on behalf of the Ad Council, the Forest Service andthe National Association of State Foresters. In the spot Smokey con-fronts a camper getting ready to hit the trail without properly extin-guishing his campfire.

But this is a different Smokey. This Smokey has had an extrememakeover. No longer a two-dimensional cartoon character, Smokey hasbecome a realistic three-dimensional animation. Smokey is still thefriendliest bear you’ll ever meet, and he still walks around on two feet.

Visual effects companyNtropic, Los Angeles and SanFrancisco, handled Smokey’smakeover, while working onBonfire with Chicago- and NewYork-based agency Draftfcb andDirector Jason Zada of the SantaMonica- and New York-basedproduction house Tool of NorthAmerica.

Ntropic’s assignment was toredesign Smokey by addingthree-dimensional computergraphics realism – on a toughfour-week production cycle forthe spot. Led by Creative DirectorAndrew Sinagra, Ntropic usedMaya to develop a more detailed treatment of Smokey’s head and snout,a buff body that moves in more realistic ways and lifelike hair.

“Our job was to refine Smokey’s animation without losing theoriginal,” Sinagra says. “For example, the eyes of the previous treat-ment had a lot more white, which is a human feature. There is very lit-tle if any white in an animal’s eyes. The cornea’s are larger and fill upmore space. We fixed that by browning out the white.

“Smokey’s previous snout was sharper. We made it more round,which looks more like a bear’s snout.”

Next, Ntropic added a full muscle system and, of all things, fatjiggle. The muscle system covers the three-dimensional wire meshrigging that imitates bone structure and skeleton.

Muscles attach to the bones of the skeleton, and when Smokey

moves, his muscles flex and relax, and the skin moves over the muscle.“Over the muscle we added ‘jiggle deforms,’ which simulate the loose-ness of the skin,” Sinagra says. “When Smokey moves fast, his belly andchest have a little extra wiggle; it adds extra dimension that helps himcome to life.”

Using a Maya feature designed to grow animated hair, Ntropicdefined the characteristics of Smokey’s hair from his snout to his toes.There are short hairs around the snout. The hair on his arms is combedin a certain direction. Hair on one part of his body is longer, while it isstraggly in another area. The hair grows out of the skin and respondsto muscle movements just like skin.

Sinagra and company used Autodesk’s Mental Ray renderingprogram to bring Smokey to life. “Mental Ray takes some work, but itproduces beautiful results,” Sinagra says. “It colors and shades the hair.It has advanced lighting features that handled the lighting on the hairwithout any specialized advance work.”

Mental Ray rendered Smokey in floating point. While 8- and 16-bit images have white values capped at a certain value, floating pointrendering has an unlimited top end. That becomes important duringcompositing.

Another desktop productfrom Autodesk called Toxik han-dled the compositing work.“Toxik runs on the samemachines that the 3D artistsuse,” Sinagra says. “Maya andToxik are tightly integrated, andthe artist can toggle back andforth between the two whilecompositing.”

Thanks to the floating pointrendering, Toxik can adjust expo-sure settings during compositingwith virtually no loss of details orcolor values. “If a section is blownout during rendering, the detailremained in the file, and we could

isolate that area and color correct in Toxik,” explains Sinagra.Smokey looks great, if unusual, in the new Bonfire commercial.

The 30-second spot opens on a male and female camper breakingcamp. The man wants to get moving, but the woman complains thatthe fire isn’t out. The 20-something man looks at the fire and claimsthat it is “close enough,” to being out, even though it is still smoking.As he turns back to the woman, he gasps.

We see Smokey Bear apparently channeling through the woman.Talking in her voice and making her gestures, Smokey lectures: “If it’stoo hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave.”

In the closing scene, Smokey is once more Smokey. Speaking in amore characteristic deep voice, he points and says: “Only you can pre-vent wildfires.” n

a


http://www.progear.markeemag.com


A growing Internet product category called cloud computing can

help automate routine, but vital, elements of production work.

bIZ TIPS

loud computing? That’s geek-speakfor a computing system assembledfrom hardware and software prod-ucts that reside on the Internet. By

subscribing to a cloud service, you avoidpaying the full cost of the sophisticatedhardware and software and the upgradesthat appear over time.

Cloud computing comes in three flavors.First is Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), wherea provider assembles resources such asservers, network equipment, computers anddata center capabilities, making them avail-able by subscription.

Second comes platform as a service(PaaS), which assembles software applica-tions, located on the Internet, into a platformfor carrying out some task.

Finally, there is software as a service(SaaS), in which you subscribe to a serviceoffering a software application. SaaS is proba-bly the most developed of these three cloud-computing markets. An example might be acommon application like Microsoft Word.

Or, it might be an application designedfor a market so small as to make the priceprohibitively expensive. But it is affordablewhen sold as a subscription service.

Some of these products are designed forfilm and video businesses. Take digital assetmanagers. There are at least three of theseproducts on the SaaS market today. Assetmanagers help production houses, postpro-duction houses and visual effects housesautomate the management of their projectsand their reels.

Interdubs calls itself a content manage-ment tool that manages clips on the Internet.The clips may include pieces of projects thatyou want to sew together into an Internetpresentation reel. In a larger context, the clipsmay be a director’s selects put up on a pres-entation web site to await client approval.

Adbeast is another digital asset manag-er. Anheuser-Busch subscribes to Adbeast tohandle a variety of chores for itself and for itsmedia vendors. Agencies and postproductionhouses given user privileges can track thestatus of projects, review and select footagefrom stock image archives and even manageentire projects.

A new entry into the asset management

market is Simian from Los Angeles-basedVolta, a custom web application provider.Simian is an online presentation and workflowmanagement tool designed for producing,posting and effecting film and video projects.

“You can manage casting, locations, sto-ryboards, clips and other assets related to aproduction,” says Brian Atton, lead developerand COO at Volta.

Think of all the digital materials thatrequire managing during a project. A directorasked to develop a treatment and bid on aspot, for instance, must develop storyboards,reference clips to illustrate style and a writtentreatment.

Typically, the director boxes up the pres-entation and sends it, or carries it, to the clientand makes a presentation, hoping that noth-ing has been lost.

With a subscription to Simian, thedirector can upload all of the presentationmaterials into the web application and cre-ate a web page presentation. If the presen-tation is in person, the director can put thematerials up on a large screen. If it is a tele-phone conference, the participants can alllog into the website and watch the presenta-tion as if it were being delivered in person.

The director can also use Simian to man-age awarded projects. Location scouts andcasting directors can upload materials intolocation and casting components of Simian.The director can review materials and checkoff recommendations. The agency and clientcan log on and review the materials, givingtheir approvals and leaving commentsbehind. Later, selects can be uploaded forreview by the agency and client.

Simian also produces reels. All you do isupload spots to the service, note whichcomes first, second and third and tell the sys-tem to create the reel. Clients can access thereel from a link to the web site. Or you can linkthe Simian files to a reel button living on yourweb site.

Thinking about software as a serviceinstead of a product alters the businessmodel of software makers and is making ahost of new products available to computerusers. Keep your eyes open for other SaaSproducts as well as emerging cloud comput-ing infrastructure and platform services. n

Cloud Computing For

Production Houses

C

by Michael Fickes

http://www.assignmentdesk.com

Apollo ConsoleBy CalrecCalrec’s new Apollo digital audio console pro-vides more than twice as much processing poweras the company’s Alpha platform. It relies on theBluefin2 processing system. At 48kHz, Bluefin2gives Apollo up to 1020 channel processing paths, 128

program busses, 96IFB/track outputs,and 48 auxiliaries. At96kHz, Apolloaffords 510 channelprocessing paths,64 program busses,48 IFB/track out-puts, and 24 auxil-iaries. Apollo fea-tures include a sec-

ond dynamics section in each channel, more than 70minutes of assignable delay, and three independentAPFL systems for multiple operator use. ContactCalrec, +44 (0) 1422 841310, www.calrec.com.

InVision Video ShockmountBy RycoteThe InVision Video shockmount/suspension is alightweight noise-reducing clamp, designed forcamcorder microphones between 19 and 25mmin diameter and up to 300mm in length, is sus-pended in two low-noise W-shaped Lye webs

fixed to a mount-ing bar. The barmay then be con-nected to a cam-corder via twofurther optionaladaptor acces-sories. Using

either the InVision Video Hot ShoeAdaptor or the InVision VideoQuarter-inch Adaptor, the micro-phone is free to rotate 360 degrees

around the camera mounting point. ContactRycote, +44 (0) 1453 759338, www.rycote.com.

CL-2 Remote FaderBy Sound DevicesThe CL-2 Remote Fader from Sound Devices is aremote control and fader accessory for the 788T thatcan be used on a surface or strapped directly to amicrophone boom pole. Connecting to the 788T’s

C.Link port, theCL-2

offers a sin-gle, 30mm fader whiche can beprogrammed to control any input on the 788T. Thereare also two, two-position switches on the remotecontrol unit that can be programmed to operate sev-eral critical functions on the 788T including remoterecord activation. Contact Sound Devices, 800-505-0625, www.sounddevices.com.

AMP1-E16-3G MonitorBy WohlerWith dual selectable SD/HD/3G inputs, Wohler’s1RU 16-channel 3G audio/video monitor, theAMP1-E16-3G features Dolby E and is DolbyDigital Plus ready. It provides monitoring for up to

16 channels of embedded audio within asingle multi-rate SDI signal. Two of thethree OLED screens can monitor 16 chan-nels of audio simultaneously with flexible

options for high-resolution,180-secment audio metering, while the thirdscreen may display video or data. ContactWohler, 510-870-0810, www.wohler.com.

788T-SSDBy Sound DevicesBased on the 788T, the 788T-SSD digital recorderincludes a factory-supplied 256GB solid-statehard drive. The solid-state drive gives the 788T-SSD the ability to record over 60 hours of uncom-

pressed, 24-bit, eight-track audio. It has faster readand write speeds than the 160GB hard drive inthe standard 788T. It is equipped with eightmicrophone inputs and 12 tracks of recording.Contact Sound Devices, 800-505-0625,www.sounddevices.com.

Artemis ConsoleBy CalrecArtemis, a smallaudio console fromCalrec, relies onBluefin2 for process-ing and Hydra2 forrouting. Running at48kHz, Bluefin2 givesArtemis up to 640channel processingpaths, 128 programbusses, 64 IFB/trackoutputs, and 32 auxiliaries. Artemis features alsoinclude a second compressor/limiter in each chan-nel, more than 70 minutes of assignable delay, andthree independent APFL systems for multiple opera-tor use. The soft control surface combines OLED dis-plays, touch screens, and light-emitting knobs to pro-vide the user with instant visual feedback and theflexibility to reconfigure the desk on the fly. Central tothe Artemis console is a dedicated integrated routerso that its I/O functions can be performed by theHydra2 networking system. Contact Calrec, +44 (0)1422 841310, www.calrec.com. n


AudioMarkee’s In Gear for the Film and Video Professional

Rycote has begun production of a large range of foam micro-phone windshields, which are available in a variety of shapesand sizes and are designed for use with microphones of alltypes including small- and large-diaphragm mics, hand-heldreporter’s models, and shotgun microphones. Made ofdurable acoustic foam with is resistant to damage from mois-ture and sunlight, the new windshields offer up to 20dB ofpop and wind attenuation depending on conditions. Theyare available in a variety of colors and in a choice of standardor velour finish. Contact Rycote, +44 (0) 1453 759338,www.rycote.com.

Foam Windshields


In the wireless micro-phone arena, miniaturetransmitters have been

very well received in the last few years, says BruceJones, vice president of marketing at Lectrosonics,Inc. With that in mind, the company has madeseveral recent product introductions for the filmand television markets.

The SM series of super-miniature digitalhybrid wireless UHF belt pack transmittersstarted shipping in late July. The SMQVmodel is the first to feature a variable, selec-table power output (50, 100, 250mW) thatallows the user to choose the maximum high-power output or switch down to extend bat-tery life. “In the past, you had to buy two dif-ferent transmitters: one for high-power out-put and one for long battery life,” Jonesexplains. “Variable power is pretty new to allsegments of the audio industry. It’s importantfor film and TV to have both functions avail-able on the fly.”

Following the trend for smaller, lightergear is Lectrosonics’ Octopack receiver dockand antenna coupling system which offers upto eight wireless audio channels in a compact,portable configuration ideal for a productionbag, cart or vehicle. “It packages fourreceivers in a tiny box powered by common

video-camera batteries,” Jones reports. “Usersget up to eight channels of audio in a systema fraction of the size of other multicouplers.”Shipping in mid-October, Octopack isexpected to score with feature film and reali-ty TV production.

Also new from Lectrosonics is the D4multi-channel digital wireless audio linkwhich began to ship mid-September.Applications for the D4 system include videoand film productions using a wireless hopfrom an audio bag system or cart back to acamera, audio relay systems for installedsound, and delayed loudspeaker systems. “Itgives you a pure digital system for locationrecording for documentaries, news, realityTV and features,” says Jones. “It’s the first sys-tem with extremely low latency: under onemillisecond of delay.”

Continuing development of digital RFsystems “is bound to be in our future,” heforecasts. “Some traditional frequencies ofwireless mics are no longer within a shrinkingspectrum. So there’s pressure to find new fre-quency bands, new technologies for radiolinks. The D4 is a direct response to this.We’ll see more and more digital radio systemson different frequency bands, using differentmodulation and encoding technologies.” n

Audio Innovations from Lectrosonics

By Christine Bunish

http://www.pro-sound.com

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 11

http://www.gothamsound.com


Kelvin TILE LEDBy GekkoThe kelvin TILE is an LED-based system employinga combination of red, green, blue, cyan, amberand white LED elements in a 16x15 matrix to gen-

erate full spectrumwhite light. The colortemperature ofkelvin TILE remainsconsistent through-out the full range ofintensity variation. Itdelivers up to 419Lux at 5500K or 273Lux at 3000K. Beamangle is 108 degreesat 50 per cent inten-sity. It can be sup-plied with an omnimount, single or

double yoke mount, removable barn doors andkelvin PAINTBOX control software. The kelvin TILEcan be controlled locally, via DMX or using thekelvin PAINTBOX. Contact Gekko, 818-252-2600,www.gekkotechnology.com.

EledZ and ULHM-LED LightsBy Anton/BauerAnton/Bauer has developed the EledZ and ULHM-LEDLED lights to complement the UltraLight Series and ElipZ

battery sys-tem. TheEledZ meas-ures 5.5”W x4”H x 1.5”D,weighs 4ounces, con-sumes 4.5watts, includes adimmer allow-ing light outputfrom 0 to 100%,

and produces a soft 5600K light. The ULHM-LED is anLED head module designed for use with theAnton/Bauer UltraLight. It weighs 10.5 ounces, and con-sumes 9 watts of power. It is dimmable from 0 to 100%with very little color temperature change. ContactAnton/Bauer, 203-929-1100, www.antonbauer.com.

Kleer Color LightBy GekkoGekko Technology’s kleer color is an adjustable,focusable single source multi-color light. It uses asingle array high-power LED that can be tunedunder software control to produce millions of dif-ferent color temperatures. In addition to primaryand intermediate colors, kleer color can preciselyemulate a high quality tungsten reference source.It can be switched to produce 2900K, 3200K,4300K, 5600K and 6500K as well as a wide rangeof color gels. Contact Gekko, 818-252-2600,www.gekkotechnology.com.

SeaSun UnderwaterHousingBy LitepanelsSeaSun underwater lighting fixtures are availableusing both Litepanels 1x1 and MicroPro fixturedesigns. SeaSun 1x1s are available in a Litepanels’Standard (5600K or 3200K in flood or spot), Bi-Color (infinitely variable from 5600K to 3200K),

and Bi-Focus (5600K with variable focus)models. Litepanels SeaSun fixture housingsare constructed of aluminum and plexi-glass, and are rated watertight to a depth of100 feet. Contact Litepanels, 818-752-7009,www.litepanels.com.

Kedo MulticolorSpotlightBy GekkoGekko’s new kedo is a focusable single-

source LED-based spot lamp. Kedo is capable ofgenerating millions of individual colors as well asa range of high-accuracy broad spectrum whites.Output is optimized at 3200K and 5600K with nocolor shift through the dimming range. Outputand color temperature can be controlled eitherfrom the intuitive interface on the rear of thelamp or via DMX. Contact Gekko, 818-252-2600,www.gekkotechnology.com.

LED Ringlightfor Q-BallBy Camera CorpsThe new Q-Liteoption for the Q-Ballcamera is a multielement LED ringwhich generates a

powerful but non-glare soft light. Q-Litecan be mounted on any

existing Q-Ball. Contact CameraCorps, +44 (0) 1932 592 299,www.cameracorps.co.uk.

LightingMarkee’s In Gear for the Film and Video Professional

The new Reporter 8LEDim on-camera lighting fixture can bedimmed continuously from 100 to 30 percent. It features aninput voltage ranging from 6-24V. At 8W of power consump-tion, the light can provide 250 lumens of light. The light fea-tures a removable 45-degree rotatable 4-leaf barn door, and aPowerBase connection that makes it easy to change the fix-ture’s optic sets. The light is available as a daylight or tungstenversion, and comes with a double-jointed bracket for posi-tioning. Contact Sachtler, 845-268-0100, www.sachtler.us.

Reporter 8LEDim


KF32 LampsBy Kino FloKino Flo has introduced the first hi-lumen, hi-color rendering KF32 compact for its True Matchline of professional cool lights. The new tungsten

balanced KF32’s color (CRI 95) is formulated byKino Flo to match the spectral sensitivity curvesof HD and digital film imaging equipment. TheKF32 compact lamp works side-by-side with tra-ditional tungsten sources without corrective fil-tration, and draws one-tenth the power perlumen compared with hot lights. Contact KinoFlo, 818-767-6528, www.kinoflo.com.

Lowel BlenderBy LowelLowel-Light’s Blender is designed for run and gunlighting needs. Two rotary controls on the back of

the 4” x 3” x3” unitallow theuser to mixtwin arraysof high CRILEDs in day-light andt u n g s t e n

color to match therest of the lighting. Itcan be powered by stan-

dard video camera batter-ies, or its own compact AC sup-ply. It comes with a selection offront diffusers for softeningand diffusing the blended out-put. Contact Lowel, 800-645-2522, www.lowel.com.

Desk-Lite 121By Kino FloThe Desk-Lite 121 joins Kino Flo’s family of HDstudio soft lights. It boasts a 12” high-color-ren-dering T5 lamp and parabolic reflector for close

range or medium zone distances. The lamp drawsabout .3 amps. The fixture includes onboard elec-tronics, on/off controls, removable focusing lou-ver and a 180 degree center mount system. Itmeasures 13” x 3” x 2.5” and weighs 1.6 pounds. It

displays a soft even field of light of 35 FootCandles at two feet; 17 FC at three feet; and 10 FCat four feet. The electronics are dead quiet andthe ballast is flicker free. Contact Kino Flo, 818-767-6528, www.kinoflo.com.

TRIOBy LowelLowel-Light’s new TRIO ia a three lamp, lightweightfluorescent fixture. It uses high CRI (color renderingindex) daylight or tungsten color, compact 55W flu-orescent lamps. TRIO’slamps are individuallyswitched for variableoutput control and itsballast auto-sets for120-240V. Other fea-tures include quickrelease dual purposebarn door/intensifiersfor trimming beamangle; increasing lightoutput; and easty to install egg crate to further trimlight spill. TRIO uses a rear mounted quick releaselocking plate and tilt bracket that mounts the fix-ture to stand or boom. Contact Lowel, 800-645-2522, www.lowel.com. n

http://www.pclights.com

http://www.lexproducts.com


Fresh off a 2009 Technology &Engineering Emmy Award, the first inAcademy history awarded for lighting

technology, Litepan-els, Inc. is responsiblefor introducing the many benefits of LED fix-tures to the film and video industry. Portable,silent, cool to the touch, ballast-free, energyefficient and infinitely dimmable by turning aknob, Litepanels’ LEDs are found everywherefrom the International Space Station and theWhite House Press Briefing Room to the setsof Two and a Half Men, Weeds, Big Bang

Theory, and Desperate Housewives.Litepanels continues to expand its

inventory, creating “tools that offer options,”says Director of Product Development PatGrosswendt. At NAB 2009 it became the firstto offer a 1x1 Bi-Color fixture which enablesusers to “quickly dial up any color from coolwhite daylight to warm white tungsten,” heexplains. Also making its debut at NAB wasthe 1x1 Bi-Focus, a variable spot and flooddesigned for maximum flexibility. “A singlelighting unit that accommodates different

lighting conditions is invaluable,”Grosswendt notes.

To meet user needs for lightingthat “almost disappears” into the sur-face on which it’s mounted, Litepanelscreated the new 1x1 Low-Profilewhich projects just three inches fromceilings or walls. The 1x1 SuperSpotnow focuses a 5600ºK beam to a 15ºKbeam in a smaller area than beforewith a longer light throw providingcustomers with “a new abil-ity to paint with light,” saysGrosswendt.

Litepanels has alsoteamed with Hydro Flex,Inc. to develop the next gen-eration of underwater light-ing offering battery-pow-ered classic 1x1 andMicroPro units in customaluminum and Plexiglashousings.

Litepanels’ LEDs havebecome so widespread for

film and video that Grosswendt ventures toguess that most TV program production tapsthe company’s fixtures. “We’re that much of astandard now,” he reports. “Some forward-thinking directors of remote operations, likeat Turner Broadcasting, have recognized theopportunity Litepanels offers. FOX is makingthe transition in the announce booth withsome of its sports programming. FOX usedLitepanels to interview President Obamaduring the All Star Game.” Reality andepisodic shows and features also favor theMiniplus “wherever you need a little extralight,” he adds.

Grosswendt points out that “all theproducts we develop complement our prod-uct line. Your kit can expand with moreoptions; you don’t have to discard or replaceyour existing Litepanels units.

“We’ll have new products to show atNAB 2010,” he promises. “We’re aware ofwhat users are asking for and what peopleexpect of us.” n

Litepanels’ Lighting Technology By Christine Bunish

http://www.lightsactionco.com

http://www.bron-kobold-usa.com


Q-BallBy Camera CorpsWith a diameter of about 4.5 inches, the Q-Ball

consists of a full dual-mode colorcamera, pan and tilt system,

10:1 zoom optics and infra-red night vision capability,all under full remote con-trol. Designed for exterioror interior use, pan and tiltcan be operated at anyspeed from 4 seconds percycle to 20 minutes per

rotation through an unlimit-ed number of turns with no

visible stepping. The camerainterface delivers up to four chan-

nels of audio embedded into the SDIfeed. The camera is based on CameraCorps’ HD MiniZoom which incorpo-rates a 1/3-inch 2-megapixel 16:9CMOS sensor delivering 1080i/720pHD or 625/525 SD, both at 50 or

59.94Hz and in 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratio.Housed in a fully weatherproof sphere machinedfrom solid aluminum, the Q-Ball weighs less than3 pounds including mounting shaft and can beoperated at any angle. Contact Camera Corps, +44(0) 1932 592 299, www.cameracorps.co.uk.

5/i Prime LensesBy Cooke OpticsThe new Cooke 5/i prime lenses aredesigned for all PL mount profession-al film and electronic cameras. A keyfeature of the 5/i primes is a revolu-tionary, dimmable, illuminated focusring, with two separately toggledscales that allow the focus puller toread the scales in low light conditions.

The aperture stops range from T1.4 to T22. Lensesavailable are 18, 25, 32, 40, 50, 65, 75, 100, and135mm. Contact Cooke, +44 (0) 116 264 0700,www.cookeoptics.com.

Compact PrimesBy ZeissThe new Compact Primes from Carl Zeiss areavailable in seven different focal lengths between18 and 35mm andare compatible withall standard digitaland analog moviecameras equippedwith a PL mount.With the standardfocal lengths, theCompact Prime lens-es have the same

dimensions, and the focus and aperturering are always positioned identically. Thelenses are equipped with a new aperturefeaturing 14 rounded shutter blades.Contact Zeiss, +49 7364 20 9042,www.zeiss.com/photo.

DV Series LensesBy FujinonFujinon’s new DV Series of four lenses wasdeveloped for half-inch cameras. TheDV3.4x3.8SA-1 has a focal length range of3.8 to 13mm, an aperture range of F1.4 to

T360, and a 97 degree horizontal angle of view at3.8mm. It is a manual iris version. It is available asan auto iris lens in model DV3.4x3.8SA-SA1. TheDV10x8SA-1 lens offers a flexible focal lengthrange of 8 to 80mm and a manual iris. TheDV10x8SA-SA1 model is an auto iris lens. All fourlenses are C-mount lenses that can be used onboth C and CS mount cameras. Contact Fujinon,973-633-5600, www.fujinoncctv.com.

SI-3DBy Silicon ImagingThe SI-3D shoots uncompressed raw imageryfrom two synchronized cameras and encodesdirectly to a single stereo CineFormRAWQuickTime file, along with 3D LUT color and con-vergence metadata. The stereo file can be instant-ly played back and edited in full 3D on an AppleFinal Cut timeline, without the need for proxyconversions. The SI-3D system uses two remoteSI-2K Mini cameras with a P+S interchange lensmount connected to a single processing systemvia gigabit Ethernet where they are synchronizedand controlled through the SiliconDVR touchscreen interface. On set, each camera can beviewed individually or in stereo mixed modesusing modern 3D LCD and DLP displays. ContactSilicon Imaging, 518-374-3358, www.si-2k.com.

GP-US932A HD RemoteHead SystemBy PanasonicNew features on the GP-US932A HD RemoteHead Camera system include 1080p resolution,smaller camera head size, 6dB sensitivityimprovement, HDMI output and optional 10- and20-meter cables. The system also features DigitalSignal Processing with 14-bit A/D conversion and19-bit inner processing. Additional featuresinclude 12-axis matrix control with independentcolor control and a dynamic range that expands

Camerasand Lenses

Markee’s In Gear for the Film and Video Professional

Designed to work with ENG style 2/3-inch HD cameras,Fujinon’s new 45-pound XA50X9.5B ESM HD telephoto lensfeatures an integral camera supporter that requires no addi-tional camera lens support. It features 50 times magnificationand a 9.5 to 475mm focal length. A remote control 2X exten-der is standard. The maximum relative aperture is 1.7 from9.5 to 311mm and 2.6 at 475mm. The minimum object dis-tance is 9.8 feet from the front of the lens. Built-in moistureabsorbing technology reduces fogging. Contact Fujinon,973-633-5600, www.fujinon.com.

XA50X9.5B ESM HD Telephoto Lens


contrast in dark areas while maintaining detail in the bright areas of the pic-ture. Contact Panasonic, 888-880-8474, www.panasonic.com.

HDK-77EC Camera SystemBy IkegamiThe HDC-77EC supports native 1080i/59.94Hz and 720p/59.94Hz dual for-

mat with CMOS sensors and adopts TA-79HD HD-Triax Adaptor to utilize existing triax infrastruc-

ture. By using optional up/down convertersHDTV and SDTV formats are supported simul-

taneously in both digital and analogform with a wide range of built-in

interfaces. With 2/3-inchspecified CMOS sensorsnative 720/60p and1080/60i operation isavailable. Each pixel ofthe CMOS sensor has it'sown amplifier. Contact

Ikegami, 201-368-9171,www.ikegami.com.

16Digital SR MagBy P+S TechnikP+S Technik and Lux Media Plan have designed a digital film magazine forthe popular Arri 16SR camera. The camera works as usual, except there’s nofilm stock in the magazine. Instead there is a digital device allowing the oper-ator to shoot and digitally capture on set. P+S Technik is building the hous-ing for the new 16Digital SR Mag while LMP is contributing its expertise inelectronic components. The 16Digital SR Mag can be adapted without majormodifications of the camera and all changes are non destructive and com-pletely reversible. All camera functions remain unchanged and the powersupply for the 16Digital SR Mag comes from the camera itself. Instead of a

flickering PAL or NTSC video assist, an HD-SDI output is available. ContactP+S Technik, +49 89 4509 8230, www.pstechnik.de.

Optimo Rouge 16-42mmBy Thales AngenieuxThe Optimo Rouge 16-42mmlarge format digital zoom lensfeatures a wide angle posi-tion of 16mm (75.4 degrees),an aperture of T2.8, calibrat-ed focus marks and no ramp-ing or breathing. In addition,the 4.2-pound PL mount lensfeatures a mechanical designfor precise zoom and focus.Contact Thales Angenieux, 973-812-3858, www.angenieux.com.

Weisscam HS-2By P+S TechnikThe Weisscam HS-2 is the latest, uncompresseddigital high-speed stand-alone cam-era and has a full format Super35CMOS Sensor with a globalshutter. The PL lens mountaccepts 35mm lenses, butby using the inter-changeable mountsystem (IMS)f r o mP + S

Techniknearly all lenses can bemounted (PL mount, Nikon F mount, Panavision mount, etc.). The camera canshoot up to 1500fps in 2K, 2000fps in 1080p and up to 4000fps in 720p. It canstream either RAW or HD format data or both via HD-SDI. The optional DM-2DigiMag recorder can be docked on board the camera and record either 10-bit HD or 12-bit raw data. Depending on the format, the DM-2 DigiMag canrecord over 1.5 hours of HD material. It can also record other camera signalslike ARRIFLEX D20/21, Sony F35, Grass Valley Viper, Phantom HD andStandard HDTV (like Sony F900). Contact P+S Technik, +49 89 4509 8230,www.pstechnik.de.

19 x 7.3 AIF LensesBy Thales AngenieuxDesigned with an improved focal range to get closer to the action in thefield, the 19 x 7.3 AIF General Purpose ENG/EFP lenses are available in HDand an economically priced HD-E version, as well as an SD version. Focalrange is 7.3mm to 139mm. The lens weighs 4 pounds with a 2X extender, and3.7 pounds in the HD-E version.The 19 x 7.3 AIF Series lenses offerdigital features including memo-rized focus and zoom positions,an anti-backlash system, autocruise zoom function, digital lawsfor focus and zoom, serial com-munication, optional built-infocus and an options 16-bit out-put optical encoder. ContactThales Angenieux, 973-812-3858,www.angenieux.com. n

http://www.crewconnection.com


October marks a busy round of Panasonic product introduc-tions sure to generate interest in the video production com-munity.

Chief among them is the debut of Panasonic’s AJ-HPM200rugged, solid-state P2 HD mobilerecorder/player, the successor to theHPM110 popular with broadcasters andproduction and staging compa-nies. The third gen-eration of the P2Mobile platform, itadds new function-ality and supportsDVCPRO HD andAVC-Intra stan-dards as well asthe optionalAVCHD formatwhich gives usersmore choices forcontent manage-ment, backup recordingand distribution.

AVCHD records to SDcards “which lowers the costof media; a 32-gig cardrecords 12 hours,” notesRobert Harris, vice presidentof marketing and product devel-opment for Panasonic’s Broadcast& TV Systems Co. SD cards with AVCHD content can be played backon Blu-ray disk players, select plasma displays and video game con-soles for maximum flexibility in the field.

In October Panasonic will also start shipping its AG-HMR10AVCCAM compact recorder. “If you need a very affordable deck thatrecords 1080 or 720 video, you can use the HMR10 as your primaryHD deck,” Harris reports. “You can edit content, burn it onto a disk,play the SD card back on a Blu-ray player and make copies for distri-bution. Its great advantage is direct compatibility with inexpensiveconsumer HD players.”

The deck can also control the optional AG-HCK10 multi-pur-pose camera head which boasts three ¼-inch native HD resolution 3-MOS imagers. Cables connecting the camera to the recorder enable it

to be run at distances up to 65 feet for convenient sports POV shoot-ing, law enforcement and military applications and underwater use ina waterproof housing.

Shipping since the end of August, the AG-HMC40 AVCCAMcamcorder has many professionalfeatures, including high-resolution10.6 megapixel still photo capture.“A lot of people are buying Digital

SLRs that also shoot video. TheHMC40 takes the videographer’s point of view

and captures true 1080 or 720 video and alsoshoots stills,” says Harris.

Panasonic’s new studiosystem for P2 HD andDVCPRO HD cam-corders is also availablein October. It offershigh-quality digital sig-nal transmission at up to328 feet, full remotecamera control and arange of professionalfeatures and comprises adigital base station, cam-era adapter, extensioncontrol unit and view-

finder interface box. “A lot of customershave been asking for a way to use their P2

and DVCPRO HD camcorders affordably, asstudio cameras,” Harris points out. “Now, what they’ve been waiting foris here.” n

Panasonic Pushes Camera Technology By Christine Bunish

http://www.payreel.com


HB Group, Inc.

CConnecticut based HB Group, Inc has been providing

professional video, audio, and audio-visual equipmentand services for over two over decades. HB Group’ s serv-ices include broadcast and professional video, live andon-demand streaming solutions, large presentation videodisplays, native High Definition projection, lighting, andlarge venue sound reinforcement. The equipment isbacked by a staff of highly trained service professionals,which affords HB’ s clients to make a single call to obtaineverything needed for a complete production.

New to HB Group’ s equipment inventory for 2009includes the Sony HXC-100 HD Triax Camera system,the Panasonic AJ-HPX300, Sony PMW-EX3 XDCAM cam-corder, the Sony HVR-S270 HDV camcorder, thePanasonic AV-HS400A multi-standard productionswitcher, the latest Panasonic High Definition LCD mon-itors and displays, the Teranex VC-100 dual-channelmulti-standard format converter, and the AJA-FS1multi-standard format converter. “ HD is here to stay.HD has become a big part of the television industry, andHB Group continues to invest in new HD equipment andtechnology. We are here to provide quality equipmentand support for our clients,” notes Mitul Patel, directorof engineering.

In addition to the wide variety of High Definitionequipment and services provided, HB Group also spe-

cializes in live event webcasting. HB Group utilizes avariety of encoding systems ranging from a single brief-case-sized encoder to a fully redundant, enterprise classstreaming fly pack. A typical live event can include a sin-gle video window or a more advanced player windowincorporating synchronized Power Point slides andmoderated Q&A, just to name a few features. Live eventscan also be made available for on-demand viewing.Between HB Group’ s robust inventory of video, audioand encoding equipment, HB Group has all the toolsnecessary to produce a professional, flawless live event.

“ In challenging economic times, these technologiesare being embraced as solutions for corporations look-ing for new and creative ways to conduct their business,without breaking their tightening budgets,” explains HBGroup Account Executive Evan Bernstein. “ Webcastingapplications can offer companies more affordablemeans of conducting meetings, mass marketing, andexposure to the public. Along with webcasting comesthe utilization of some of the latest video productionequipment. Both webcasting and video production arerising together under the same tide of necessity.”

General Electric Company, United TechnologiesCorporation, Pepsi Cola Company, Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc.,and Pfizer, Inc. are just a few notable corporations that callupon HB Group for the latest production solutions. n

Advertising Supplement

HD PORTFOLIO

http://www.hbrentals.com


Barbizon Lighting Company

TThe Barbizon Lighting Company

has been helping production specialistswith their lighting and grip needs forover 60 years, a time span that has wit-nessed many changes in the industry.Today, Barbizon is helping customersupgrade to the latest in high color-ren-dering LED and other energy-efficientlighting systems. Its eleven US offices,and offices in London and Sydney, carryall the major LED lighting manufactur-ers – Litepanels, Philips’s ColorKinetics, Zylight, Lowel, Dedolight,ARRI and more – plus a host of innova-tive fixtures designed for energy-effi-cient applications.

“Our teams know the ins and outs,the benefits and drawbacks of all the LEDfixtures out there,” says BarbizonMarketing Manager Tobin Neis. “As alarge distributor we deliver many differ-ent options, as the choices are continual-ly being introduced to the market. LEDmanufacturers are also diligently workingto improve their fixtures’ color renderingand overall light output. Fixtures in sizesfrom camera-top to large Brute panels arenow available. It’s our goal to find theright gear that suits our customers’ par-ticular application and never suggest asolution that’s not right for them.”

In addition to a growing inventoryof LEDs, Barbizon offers an array ofother energy-efficient sources, includingpopular camera-top lights. “Frezzolinihas a new camera-mounted 15W HMIbaby sungun,” reports Neis, “and it’s justamazing the light you can get out of it.”

Rosco’s high-output LitePad, a slim-profile light that creates a soft, evensource, is also gaining a following invideo production where it’s being usedas soft fill or as an uplight illuminatingobjects placed atop it.

LUXIM Corporation’s LIFI® (LightFidelity) solid-state plasma lamp systemdelivers “beautiful light” when installedin fixtures, Neis adds. “LIFI technologyoffers great lamp life and its color ren-dering is wonderful. LIFI sources arenow being incorporated into fixtures forstudio broadcast applications by compa-nies like SeaChanger with their Nemofixture.”

Barbizon’s knowledgeable salesassociates guide customers through themaze of broadcast and entertainmentlighting options and can arrangedemonstrations for many popular fix-tures “so you don’t end up with a badcase of buyer’s remorse,” says Neis.

Lights are not the only equipmentthat Barbizon can provide: They are deal-ers for most major grip and camera-mount companies. Whether customersneed the latest Matthews grip gear or anew Cartoni or Manfrotto tripod Barbizoncan help. They stock all the latest cases

from Pelican, Storm, Kata and Porta Braceto protect customers’ investments, too.

The company also sells a full line oflamps from GE, Philips, Osram and Ushio;gel from Rosco, Lee, Gam and Apollo;gaffer, camera and spike tape; and mostevery production expendable needed. n

Advertising Supplement

LIGHTING PORTFOLIO

http://www.barbizon.com


Storm Stories make bigsounds

At New York City’s Sounds Big Pro-ductions clients and post housesmainly from the television program-

ming sector sub-contract CEO Andrew Kayfor mixes, including most of the first seasonof Travel Channel’s Man vs. Food, featureslike SyFy Channel’s 2012: Startling NewSecrets, and various shows for MSGNetworks, like The Diamond at the Rock, ahistory of the famed Rockettes dance troupeand the rise of Rockefeller Center. On the lat-ter project Kay, the re-recording mixer,helped the team net an Emmy Award.

He works in Sounds Big’s 5.1 surroundsuite on a Digidesign Pro Tools HD 3 systemwith Waves Platinum TDM Plug-ins andSurround Tools; he has also mixed and screenedin 13 other suites across New York City.

This year, while sub-contracting atPostworks, he became one of the re-record-ing mixers for The Weather Channel’s popu-lar Storm Stories series. “The key to all TVwork is knowing in the pre-pro stage whatyou’re going to need for the mix,” he says. Soearly communication with the postproduc-tion supervisor is essential.

For Storm Stories Kay imports the finallocked-to-picture Avid OMF from the offlineedit into Pro Tools and preps the mix by sep-arating out host Jim Cantore’s voice-over, allthe dialogue, location storm sounds, synthet-ic sound effects, and music tracks, settingthem into place in the Pro Tools templatebuilt for the show.

“Episodes can have a dense texture,” Kayexplains. “You have to make sure Jim’s voiceand the interviews are always heard whilealso building the drama of the story

using music and effects to enrich the textureduring intense moments. When you do thiswell everything comes together quite nicely.”

Kay works unsupervised for the one-daymix, finessing and adjusting VO and music,de-breathing and de-essing the narration ifneeded. He does a stereo mix first keeping itat levels he knows “will transfer well to 5.1.”After about five hours he screens the mixwith the producer and postproduction super-visor, makes revisions based on their notes,then prints 15 mono splits plus the 6-channel5.1 surround mix splits for delivery.

Kay hands off the 4-channel masterand 4-channel sub-master split files to theonline Avid editor who performs the finalcolor correction and creates the HDCAMmaster and sub-master tapes for final deliv-ery. He also prepares a 7-channel splitfor DA88 and a 5.1 surround mix split which

Sound studios coast to coast merge creative and technical workflows todeliver solutions for clients in TV commercial and program production.

SoundStudios

ByChristine BunishandMark R. Smith

Mixing it up


is then delivered to The Weather Channel forarchiving and encoding.

Larson Studios is high on Weeds

LA’s Larson Studios has worked on thelast four seasons of Showtime’s hit seriesWeeds taking each episode from spotting tolayback in about a week’s time.

“Weeds is a show where dialogue reignsand sound effects tend to be light,” notesSupervising Sound Editor John Kincade.“Dialogue is always exposed, especially thisseason with a lot of interiors. There’s no placeto hide; everything needs to be clean andsmoothed out.”

Production Mixer Sean Rush records toa digital recorder with boom and lav mics.The dialogue in shots from Esteban’s man-sion is particularly “naked,” notes Re-Recording Mixer Fred Tator. “Every time youpoint the mic a different way you get a differ-ent ambient tone. Probably the hardest jobany of us have is weaving everything togethersmoothly with backgrounds to create a seam-less reality.”

Many exteriors are shot in ManhattanBeach and pose their own challenges. LarsonDialogue Editor Andrew Caporasso oftenbuilds lines from alternate takes and angles tokeep dialogue audible. Sound effects andbackground ambiances are later mixed in tomaintain the evocative sound of crashingwaves and screeching seagulls.

Eight to 12 tracks of group walla arerecorded by ADR Mixer Andrew Morgado,including the sound of Mexican street ven-dors and police for cross-border plots.

Tator and Sound Effects Mixer ChrisPhilp, who won an Emmy last month for mix-ing Weeds, utilize Digidesign Icon consoles indual Pro Tools sessions. Philp is tasked withmixing 48 or more tracks of backgrounds,Foley (footsteps, door closes, clinking dishes)and hard sound effects (a punch in the nose,a gunshot) prepared by Sound Effects EditorJohn Peccatiello. Tator is charged with mix-ing music, dialogue, ADR and group walla.He imports the score and source music fromMusic Editors Maarten Hofmeijer andMichael Brake into his Pro Tools session.

It takes approximately 12 hours to mixeach 28-minute show. About six hours intothe session Tator plays back the mix forProducer Lisa Vinnecour and takes care ofany fixes and touchups. By early evening heplays back again for another producer andwriter, something most shows don’t allow for.

Tator mixes in 5.1 referencing the stereomix with a pair of nearfield speakers. Weedsairs in 5.1 where available and in stereo andDolby Pro Logic elsewhere. Larson’sSteve Coker creates a separate foreign mixwith enhanced backgrounds and effects. Likean increasing number of shows, Weeds asksfor a simultaneous domestic mix and foreignM&E to meet the needs of concurrent English

and foreign-language broadcasts. Both aredone overnight and laid back to HDSR.

“It’s sad when we mix the last episode ofthe season,” Tator reports. “We look forwardto coming to work each week to see the latestepisode.”

Stimmung facilitates unexpected Heist

Things got buggy earlier this year atSanta Monica’s Stimmung when the compa-ny was challenged to create the sound designfor the team of insects that hijack a Coca-

Cola bottle from a picnic in Heist, the cleverlive action and animated Super Bowl spotfrom Wieden+ Kennedy/Portland, Oregon.

As Stimmung Executive Producer KellyFuller points out, the photoreal CG insectsanimated by Psyop couldn’t sound cartoony.And the bugs depicted – from ladybugs andgrasshoppers to butterflies and bees – tend tomake “such small sounds” in real life that atotally authentic approach wasn’t practicaleither. In fact, an insect wrangler brought aparade of bugs to Stimmung. But only thebees, some in a large screened carrier for

continued on next page

Larson Studios – Re-Recording Mixer Fred Tator mixing the Showtime series Weeds

http://www.firstcom.com


mass buzzing sounds and some chilled andcalmed for singular fly bys, plus a fewgrasshoppers were loud enough to be cap-tured by Stimmung’s Neumann KMR82 mic.

“We had a nice long schedule thatallowed for experimentation,” says StimmungSound Designer Gus Koven. “The ultimateluxury is time, and we had that to get every-thing to sound naturalistic.”

Foley Artists John Roesch and AlysonMoore at Warner Bros were tasked withFoleying most of the insect sounds so the bugswould stand out without sounding cartoonyor competing with the full orchestral track;Mary Jo Lang was Warner’s Foley mixer.Koven tapped his archive of custom insectsounds recorded back East, and processedRoesch and Moore’s sounds, EQ’ing them andaltering their speed and pitch on his Pro ToolsHD system. Koven also called up a redwingblackbird clip to start the spot.

Composer Robert Miller re-arranged thefamous theme from Prokofiev’s Peter & TheWolf to give each insect a musical signature;the classic children’s composition even sug-gested Coke’s five-note concluding mnemon-ic. Miller recorded the spot’s score at FOXwith 60 members of the LA Philharmonic andthe John Williams Orchestra.

Back at Warner’s Roesch and Moorecrafted all the moving bottle sounds. Thefinal cap pop, performed by a dexterous ani-mated horned beetle in the spot, was record-

ed at Stimmung using glass Mexican Cokebottles and a Schoepps MS mic array. “Theagency was really specific about the cap pophaving a certain feel,” says Koven. “It was veryperformance-based and required lots ofexperimentation,” adds Assistant SoundDesigner Peter Lauridsen recalling the stu-dio’s mass consumption of soda in its quest toperfect the sound.

Stimmung’s rough mix was delivered asa Pro Tools session to Loren Silber at SantaMonica’s Lime Studios who did the final 5.1mix for the broadcast and cinema spots.

In Your Ear lends hand toHannah Help Me!

“The post and production business ischanging,” says Carlos Chafin, president ofRichmond, Virginia’s In Your Ear (IYE), whoobserves that “companies that have tradition-ally filled a certain kind of role have becomescript-to-screen resources for clients.”

He would know, as IYE wrapped pro-duction last spring on the 13-episode firstseason of Hannah Help Me!, a “mom to therescue-type” reality program starringRichmond’s own Hannah Keeley, a marriedmother of seven. It airs on public television.

Lensed at various locations aroundRichmond, the crew edited the video andsent the audio mixes to IYE’s Audio Editorand Music Supervisor Michael Congdon,

who then edited the audio and cleaned uplocation sound primarily acquired throughvarious lavs and one Sennheiser boom mic.

A reality series proved a different animalfrom IYE’s traditional spot client base.“They’re winging it; the sound guy has tomove and adapt to producing various scenesquickly,” Congdon notes. “He’s constantlydealing with different conditions in [a hostof ] indoor and outdoor locations.”

The season finale went even furtherafield: It was shot in the Turks and CaicosIslands. The crew “did everything from set-ting up in closets and at the water park tofilming on a catamaran [and recording dia-logue, too]” at sea, Chafin recalls.

The sheer number of people and thechanging environments can be a soundman’snightmare, and it required considerable effort tokeep sound quality consistent. “Technically, thatmeant that Paul Bruski [IYE’s senior engineer]had to do some heavy lifting with his soundreduction and EQ software,” Congdon says.

IYE gleaned the musical segues for theseries from its extensive music library, forwhich the team has created more than 900cuts. Chafin and IYE’s Robbin Thompson,composer of the title tune and a Virginiamusic icon, spent two weeks selecting tracksfor the series, some of which were remixed;all told, Hannah Help Me! included about 40library tracks.

For the final mix, the edit was sent to

Sound Studios

http://www.omnimusic.com


IYE’s Pro Tools system via an .AAF file from the Avid MC Version 3.Bruski balanced out the stereo before final post and delivery as 24-bit,48K .WAV files.

Wrapping season one of the series represents the first step of IYE’snew goal to produce reality and possibly documentary content that couldbe picked up by various networks. “We love the creative control,” saysChafin. “Audio is always the last part of the production path, so being atthe head of the class is a markedly different position for us to be in.”

Collaboration reaches Crescendo! While San Francisco-based Crescendo! Studios mixes the occa-

sional film or documentary, the spot market is where the company hasmade its primary auditory imprint in the post business.

Senior Engineer Matt Wood cites a recent commercial projectfor Esurance, the online insurance provider, as a shining example ofthe firm’s work. Crescendo! handled recording, editing, sound designand mixing for the spot, Carbon Copy, in tandem with Wild Brain, avisual and animation house with studios in San Francisco, LA andNew York and client Esurance. Crescendo’s platform of choice is ProTools HD Accel 3.

“This spot was slightly different from most of our work because itwas really a longer-form commercial” that clocked in at about two-and-a-half minutes for the broadcast version and more than three minutesfor the Internet cut, Wood explains. Carbon Copy was the only com-mercial shown during the world television premier of I, Robot on FX.

“We started the process by recording the two principle charac-ters in the spot, the animated characters Erin and Eric, as well as thesupporting cast in our voice-over booth” working to “a very roughversion of the animated picture,” says Wood. “We then cut an editedselect of all the lines and gave those, along with the raw voice-overtakes, to Wild Brain via our FTP site.”

Wild Brain dropped those lines into the picture edit and finishedthe animation. Then, once the picture was locked, Wild Brain startedcreating the initial version of the sound design.

Wild Brain sent Crescendo! an OMF with all the edited audio aswell as a QuickTime file for picture reference. Crescendo! spent anoth-er day or two creating additional sound design to enhance the picture,adding gunshots, various monster sounds and a science lab amongother ambiences.

Wild Brain and Esurance returned to Crescendo! to wrap thestereo mix, which, due to the complicated sound design and length ofthe spots represented about a full day’s work.

At the end of the session, Crescendo! once again delivered files toWild Brain via FTP, only this time it was a full mix in .AIFF format, aswell as the split tracks.

Getty finds new challenges in teenfavorite

Rob Getty, an independent sound supervisor based in the LAarea, recently mixed the CW’s new version of the fan-favorite seriesBeverly Hills 90210 at Sony Sound in Culver City.

“As a supervisor, I meet with the picture editor and the directorand discuss how we want the show to sound: realistic or over-the-top,for instance,” he says, “and how the sound will support the story.”

The next step is the background sound effects edit featuringhard, or practical, effects and “ambient sounds like air, cities, birds ortraffic ‘wash,’” Getty explains. Dialogue is enhanced with ADR asneeded with group walla providing background chat and murmurs.

One of the challenges for Beverly Hills 90210 is creating theproper sound for scenes with large groups like a high school party.Getty taps “a variety of library sounds from different sources, such asa cocktail party with clinking bottles amongst the chatter; but wemostly use music that is provided by the music composers hired bythe show’s producers.”

They often select songs “from new bands that are not wellknown [and] want the exposure on the show,” he explains. Then heuses Pro Tools to edit and mix the ambient sound and music.”

Original music fills another role. It “has to support the emotionof the scene,” says Getty. “That is mostly accomplished by the compos-er writing the right piece of music. But then the mixer will enhancethat by increasing the volume in the appropriate places to supportthat emotion.” Before completing the final print master he’s givenadvice like “bringing in the music at a certain point to accent an emo-tional theme” or doing just the opposite “when they want the actorsto carry that scene” or “enhance a certain line in the dialogue withhigher volume.”

The series does a lot of location recording which presents“opportunities for external noise,” Getty points out. “For instance,locations for this show can often include a beach, which means thatwe have to spend time EQ’ing the sound of the waves to ensure that itdoesn’t drown out the dialogue. We also may have to isolate certainfrequencies that may be interfering with the dialogue.”

Following the 5.1 mix, the show is laid back to HDSR and deliv-ered to the CW in 5.1 for the HD broadcast and stereo for the stan-dard telecast. n

Stimmung – a bee gets ready to perform for Peter Lauridsen’s mic for its

part in the spot Heist

http://www.productionhub.com


R E G I O N A L P R O D U C T I O N R E P O R T

Yes, 2009 has been a tough year in the industry, and Atlanta has felt apprehensive, as have most other markets.

But with the economy apparently bottoming out, a strong economic engine in Turner Networks and a vibrant corpo-

rate presence in this Southeastern hub, production and post are poised to rebound and grow. >BY MARK R. SMITH

Atlanta

Doppler Hosts Black BoxATLANTA, GA – Black BoxProductions Show filmedMonica: Still Standing, a TVprogram starring Atlanta-based artist Monica, inDoppler’s Studio E throughoutJuly. The crew also recordedand hosted listening sessionsfor Monica and the show.Monica was back at Dopplerin August to write and trackvocals for J Records.

news

& Updates> by Jon T. Hutchinson

Atlanta on the Rebound

Crawford Posts The 27 ClubATLANTA, GA – CrawfordPost’s creative crew for The27 Club included SeniorEditor/HD Specialist RonHeidt for the HD conform andgraphics; Senior Colorist DCCardinali on HD tape-to-tapecolor correction; and SoundDesigner Steve Warner foraudio layback.

Pogo Produces AceHardware CampaignATLANTA, GA – PogoPictures’ Steve Colby directeda national TV ad campaign forAce Hardware via MARSAdvertising/Southfield, MI.The spots evoke the pride ofhome ownership through nat-uralistic scenes of people fix-ing up their homes. The spotswere shot entirely with hand-held cameras to give them aloose, easy sensibility thatallows viewers to feel asthough they are gazing over afence at things happening intheir neighbor’s backyard.The spots were shot in LosAngeles.

roaD triP

rom its base near downtown, BlueMarble Media focuses on the corpo-rate world, creating projects for local-ly-based companies like UPS,Georgia Pacific and the marketingoperations of AT&T.

The company also shoots spotsfor Irvine Spectrum, a mixed-use retail center insuburban LA; the Athlete’s Foot; and Atlanta-basedreal estate developer Carter USA. “Sometimes weshoot spots as well as corporate work for the sameclients,” notes Cal Miller, vice president of market-ing and client services.

Blue Marble regularly works with four videog-raphers who favor RED One, Sony EX-1 andPanasonic HVX200 cameras; the company main-tains its own Apple Final Cut Pro HD suite.

According to Miller, the company is “seeingquite an increase in activity, which I think will payoff by the end of the year. It looks like a better sec-ond half of 2009 for everyone,” especially whenmany clients have money to “use or lose” by year’send.

Of recent note is the launch of a new division,Cooper Maron, that will focus on creating 30-minute documentaries in the range of $25,000 tosix figures, Miller reports. Blue Marble’s script-to-screen capabilities in a small market are proving tobe a key strength.

Inertia Films keepson the move

Inertia Films is a company that one could sayisn’t living up to its name. The busy productionhouse shoots on video “almost 100 percent of thetime,” says owner Troy Thomas, with clients nam-ing HD their format of choice about half the time.

Those clients include NFL Network, for whichInertia does shoots for the Atlanta Falcons. “If it’sjust regular news at training camp, we shoot in SD,”says Thomas, although feature segments are lensedin HD.

Inertia just finished shooting episodes ofGangland for The History Channel and Dogs 101and Cats 101 for Animal Planet. The company alsoworks in the corporate arena on projects like apromo for The New Testament Study Center for

FBlue Marble Media spinsbusy second half

Jam Edit – Executive Producer Molly Baroco

25

Chattanooga, Tennessee-based ministryAMG; the annual 10K Peachtree Road Race

for Wachovia Bank; and ING marathons foronline viewing. Inertia also shoots for out-of-towners who come to Atlanta for production.

The in-house camera of choice is thePanasonic HDX900 and postproduction isdone in two Final Cut Pro suites, one of theman HD system.

Thomas founded Inertia in Cincinnati in1993 and moved to Atlanta in 1996.Expansion to Miami may be next since thecompany already does some shooting there,he reports.

FishEye capturescorporate perspective

The corporate world is where the gangat FishEye Media Productions resides craft-ing content that range from video produc-tions to interactive media to turnkey events.

Its clientele is national in scope, with just20 percent originating in Atlanta. The clientroster includes CitiFinancial, Pirelli Tires andSiemens’s Energy & Automation Division.

Executive Producer Bob McAllister citesa recent stakeholders’ meeting for J.M.Family, a Toyota importer based in BocaRaton; FishEye provided all audio and visualsupport for the live event which also featureda smattering of taped content and more. “Wedid a dedicated Internet Protocol broadcast,which allowed us to produce a high-quality

feed that was almost as good as a satellitebroadcast,” says McAllister, “as well as [offer-ing] two-way communication at a fraction ofthe usual cost.”

FishEye shoots with various SD and HDcameras that it owns or rents, and cuts on anAvid Adrenaline, as well as on two in-houseand one mobile Final Cut Pro HD systems.

Although FishEye, which has been inbusiness since 1996 and employs five full-timers, “has felt the downturn” in the econo-my, McAllister also feels things are “bottom-ing out. We’re seeing more activity and feelthat the recovery is coming.”

Nmedia straddlesproduction and post

Midtown-based Nmedia is billed as “afull-service post house with some productioncapabilities,” by Senior Editor Jason West.Most of its workload is in the non-broadcastarena for clients like locally-based DeltaAirlines for short announcements about newservice roll-outs, corporate meeting videos,and employee training projects for any of sev-eral of the airline’s divisions.

Other customers include StiefelLaboratories, a pharmaceutical firm thatfocuses on the dermatology market, andhigh-tech firm Verified Identify Pass, manu-

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

Inertia Films – DP A. Troy Thomas shooting a

television pilot in Alys Beach, Florida


http://www.cinephototech.com


facturer of electronic airport security passes.More than half of Nmedia’s work origi-

nates in Atlanta, with a cut from theSoutheast and additional business from moredistant markets like Chicago where theInstitute for Truth in Accounting turns to thecompany for PSAs. Nmedia usually shootswith the Panasonic HDX900 and posts inthree Final Cut Pro HD suites.

After seven years in business Nmediahas experienced an “unusually slow” periodduring the downturn, a trend West says he’sheard from others in the local productioncommunity.

“But we’re optimistic that the turn-around is beginning already,” he adds. “Andwe took advantage of the slow time by gettingour house in order and adding to our menu ofservices,” which now also includes compre-hensive up and down conversion. Nmediaalso became an all-Apple house, “so now wecan connect between suites seamlessly.”

Jam Edit gels withspot cutting

The focus at midtown’s Jam Edit is onthe national spot market where recent workincludes a national Coke spot fromFitzgerald; a national commercial for NewEra, the manufacturer of Major LeagueBaseball-approved caps, from MMB/Boston;

a national Subway sandwich campaign fea-turing NASCAR driver Carl Edwards, alsofrom MMB/Boston; and a national campaignfor Georgia Pacific’s Dixie (as in cups andnapkins) division.

“We focus on spots because that’s thespecialty of our two staff editors, Eddie

Kesler and Jeff Jay,” says Executive ProducerMolly Baroco. Jam Edit boasts three cuttingrooms, two with Final Cut Pro HD systemsand one with an Avid Media Composer.

Another key staffer is graphics designerAndrew Pope, who just wrapped a campaignfor the Weather Channel’s Storm Stories

ATLANTA

Jam Edit – Eddie Kesler, creative editor/owner editing an HD comedy spot for ESPN and Miller Lite

http://www.atlantarigging.com

series. He finishes his work on Autodesk’s DiscreetFlint, half of the time in HD; Baroco says graphicscampaigns for networks comprise about half ofPope’s work, with the rest consisting of visualeffects and compositing.

About three quarters of Jam Edit’s businessoriginates with local agencies, she notes, and theyhave kept the shop humming this year. “We’vebeen as busy this year as we were in 2008, despitethe down market.” While the two-year-old compa-ny has no plans for expansion just yet, it may add athird editor to fill out its trio of edit suites.

Jump! Then Shout!

Atlanta’s Buckhead district is the location oftwo related companies that work toward similargoals: Jump!, a post house; and Shout!, whichopened 15 months ago, as a full-service corporatevideo production company.

Jump! focuses on the spot market, saysPresident Rob Jameson, who cites national projectslike a script-to-screen, two-spot effort for AtlantaMotor Speedway’s Labor Day race, the Pep Boys 500, from the venue’sin-house agency.

Jump! also works with the Turner Networks on integrated pro-mos, such as 10-second vignettes for national advertisers Alamo,Wendy’s and Dr. Scholl’s which integrate products into various TVprograms. The format is attracting advertisers, since pools of spots“often get blocked by TiVo,” Jameson explains. “We see that as agrowth area for the industry.”

In addition, the company is working on integrated web promosand show packaging for the Scripps Networks “that help transport

viewers between shows and web sites,” and on Dekocasts which entailanimating the lower third of the screen for products or promos.

Jump! offers two Final Cut Pro suites, one of them HD, plus sixAfter Effects 3D stations and an insert stage that has been used toshoot spots for the Weather Channel and various local agencies.

Shout! just entered the LED sports signage market and Jamesonsays, “We’re looking to grow this revenue stream. We feel that clientsare looking for quality production and a fair price, and that is some-thing we can easily provide.”


Nmedia – DP Spencer Adams (L) and Editor Jason West complete Delta’s onboard

international arrival video

http://www.pce-atlanta.com

Need post? Cry Wolff Bros

A bevy of spot and promo work is always on the schedule atWolff Bros Post in midtown, a company that has been a cog in thelocal video landscape for 14 years.

Recent projects include promos for the season two launch ofToddlers & Tiaras, and for Miss America: Countdown to the Crownand 18 Kids & Counting – all for TLC. But the bulk of Wolff Bros’work, says General Manager Wayne Overstreet, is locally generated,often for Turner Networks outlets like TBS, TNT, Turner ClassicMovies (TCM) and Cartoon Network.

Lately, Turner gigs have included Weekend Combos (promos forupcoming TCM shows), Movie Extras (vignettes that spotlightupcoming movies and directors, for TBS) and DVD Spotlights (the-atrical releases that are set for DVD release) for TNT.

Another client is Gospel Music Channel (GMC) for which Wolff Broscreated promos for theoriginal series, Faith &Fameand Front Row Live,plus the Dove Awards.

Wolff Bros’ editsuites boast five AvidAdrenalines, four FinalCut Pro HDs and twoAutodesk DiscreetSmoke 2010s – some ofwhich are networkedamong its nine editsuites. Soon, all fiveAvid suites will alsoinclude Final Cut ProHD systems as well; theeditors are outfittedwith After Effects soft-ware as well. Three 5.1surround Pro Tools HDsuites are also on hand.

All told, “Businesshas been good this year,”Overstreet reports. “I’dcall it steady. It lookslike the market is poisedto turn around.”

Dzignlight Studios rides the wave

Another key player in the Atlanta post market isDzignlight Studios, which creates animation and effects forTV programming and features. The company has specializedin stereoscopic 3D work for the past decade.

Dzignlight’s current gigs include creating all of the inter-nal body animations for Dr. G., Medical Examiner on TDC.There are usually about six animations per half hour show,says owner Eric Deren. The company has also created contentfor big pharma’s Pfizer and Novartis for events focusing onsales and training.

Dzignlight also specializes in large-format films. Derensays the market for IMAX, among other large formats, isgrowing in part “because it’s six times the resolution of HD.”

Earlier this year, Dzignlight added more equipment,including a custom-built stereoscopic 3D camera system tocomplement its four Softimage animation systems. The com-pany often works with Lab 601 to meet its editorial needs andwith White Dog Studios for audio mixing.

Interestingly, business (only about 15 percent of which islocal; most of the rest is from New York or LA) has been greatlately. “We’ve been slammed this year and last, but before

2008 our best year was 1998. It was consistent in between, though weweren’t expanding,” says Deren. “Go figure. But we feel like we’re on a3D wave that seems to be getting bigger.” n

ATLANTA


BUsiness CarD

Dzignlight Studios – Eric Deren shooting the short film Stereoscopic

Skydiving at the Freefly Skydiving World Record Event at Skydive Chicago

Wolff Bros Post – Buff Harsh (R) and Terri Molasky (L) in an edit session

http://www.longshadowproductionsinc.com

http://www.wolffbrospost.com

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

BY CHRISTINE BuNISH VIEWJonathan Hall, director of photographyLos Angeles

INSIDE

Markee: You recently shot the inde-pendent feature, Charlie Valentine, in2-perf 35mm Techniscope, a formatthat had its heyday in the 1960s and‘70s. What prompted you to use it?Hall: Charlie Valentine was the firstcollaboration between [director] JesseJohnson and myself. This was a lowbudget project, but we didn’t want itto look like it. Jesse’s a big believer inshooting film, as am I, but trying toconvince producers to spend most ofthe budget to shoot 35mm was a hardsell. 16mm looked to be our onlyoption until I brought theTechniscope idea to the table. Aftercosts were compared it [appeared tobe] the same cost as 16mm but withall the qualities of 35mm.

The problem was that there wereno 2-perf cameras available in the US.I was at a post house when someonein the lab said they’d heard I waslooking for a 2-perf camera and hadheard Panavision had one.Panavision’s UK office found two 2-perf camera bodies, a Platinum and aGold II, retrofitted in the ‘90s for anItalian western. We got them, tookthem to Las Vegas on a test shoot andthey were fantastic. The image gaveus everything we had hoped for andCharlie Valentine became the first 2-perf film to shoot in the states inquite some time.

Markee: Did you have a learningcurve?Hall: The non-forgiving negative size.What you see in the frame is exactlywhat’s photographed on the negative,no more no less – there’s no ‘wiggle’room at all. With 2-perf, a hair in thegate is a very big deal.

Jesse and I did a lot of prep, buteven with that we still had a tightschedule: 18 days of principal photog-raphy and two days of pick ups. Weused every tool we could and called in

every friend and favor toget the best film wecould. One of the cooltools we had was aSuper Panther 2, “TheBMW of dollies.” Thisunit allowed us to get acrane, jib, and dolly allin one. It helped us keeprental costs down andallowed us to easily keepthe camera alive evenwhen moving quickly.

Markee: CharlieValentine is about agangster (Raymond J.Barry) who tries toreconnect with his son(Michael Weatherly).Did Techniscope lend itself particu-larly well to that content?Hall: Yes, I believe it did. The film hasa lot of deep conversations and tightenvironments with a lot of detail; alesser format would have not given usthe depth and detail we wanted. Jesseand I had always wanted to shoot thefilm in a 2.40:1 ratio to give a classicCinemascope look, and theTechniscope format proved great forit. The wide screen frame allows forthe picture to be layered showing theenvironments each character is sur-rounded by. We also moved the cam-era a lot to give the film nice rhythm.Shooting 35mm also allowed us toshoot more quickly and efficiently:We didn’t have to worry about HDmonitors, clipped highlights, orND’ing windows. On a low budgetfilm time is something you never haveenough of.

Markee: Did you have to use specialfilm stock?Hall: No, the stock is no different. Wechose Fuji’s Vivid 160t, for our dayscenes to get a very classic, colorful

and high-contrast picture. For interi-ors we used Fuji’s Eterna 500T, ahigh-speed stock with great range andsharp detail. Both stocks have a veryclassic yet natural look, something wewere definitely trying to achieve.

Markee: You seem to have unleasheda new wave of Techniscope produc-tion since Charlie Valentine wrapped.Hall: About the time we finishedprincipal photography Aaton wasfinally ready with its new Penelopecamera body for 2-perf, and ARRIcalled to tell me they could now mod-ify any of their Arricam or 535 cam-era movements to handle 2-perf.

There’s been a lot of buzz.Cameramen want alternatives to thecosts of 35mm and limitations of digi-tal. Techniscope is a great alternativefor films looking to shoot 35mm butneeding a cost-effective option tobring to producers. Although I’m nowshooting my first RED feature, GettingBack to Zero, in Los Angeles and nextis a 3D action film in Thailand, I’mlooking forward to shootingTechniscope again. n

onathan Hall’s DP credits include Kiss the Dead Goodbye, After, The Campfire Chronicles:

Have a Nice Day, Getting Back to Zero, Give ‘em Hell, Malone, Green Street Holligans,

Charlie Valentine, Certainty, Ex Men, InAlienable, Divine Intervention, Tina Bobina,

American Dragster, Asian Stories, Sense Memory, Enter the Dragonfly, and Doughboys.

30

J

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sept / oct 2009

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