visionarri magazine issue 12

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New Year’s Eve Interview with Charles Minsky, ASC Vision ARRI The Biannual International Magazine from the ARRI RENTAL & POSTPRODUCTION ENTERPRISES 12/11 ISSUE 12 The Three Musketeers Paul W. S. Anderson and Glen MacPherson, CSC, ASC, on reinventing the adventures of D’Artagnan in 3D Sinbad Gavin Finney, BSC, discusses creating a modern look for Sky’s new epic fantasy drama Tom Sawyer 2-perforation makes widescreen 35 mm affordable for remake of boyhood classic ALEXA Studio & ALEXA M The ALEXA family grows

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Page 1: VisionARRI Magazine Issue 12

NewYear’sEveInterview with Charles Minsky, ASC

VisionARRIThe Biannual International Magazine from the ARRI RENTAL & POSTPRODUCTION ENTERPRISES

12/11 ISSUE 12

The Three MusketeersPaul W. S. Anderson andGlen MacPherson, CSC, ASC,on reinventing the adventuresof D’Artagnan in 3D

SinbadGavin Finney, BSC, discussescreating a modern look forSky’s new epic fantasy drama

Tom Sawyer2-perforation makeswidescreen 35 mm affordablefor remake of boyhood classic

ALEXA Studio& ALEXA MThe ALEXA family grows

Page 2: VisionARRI Magazine Issue 12

ARRI SERVICES GROUP NETWORKARRI SUBSIDIARIESAUSTRALIAARRI Australia, SydneyCamerasStefan SedlmeierT +61 2 9855 [email protected]

AUSTRIAARRI Rental ViennaCamerasGerhard GiesserT +43 189 201 07 [email protected]

CZECH REPUBLICARRI Rental PragueCameras, Lighting, GripMirek ObrmanT +420 234 707 [email protected]

GERMANYARRI Rental BerlinCameras, Lighting, GripUte BaronT +49 30 346 800 [email protected]

ARRI Rental CologneCameras, Lighting, GripStefan MartiniT +49 221 170 [email protected]

ARRI Rental LeipzigCameras, Lighting, GripAnnerose SchulzeT + 49 341 3500 [email protected]

ARRI Rental MunichCameras, Lighting, GripThomas LoherT +49 89 3809 [email protected]

ARRI Film&TV Services,MunichFilm Lab, DI, TV Postproduction,VFX, Sound, Studio, CinemaAngela ReedwischT +49 89 3809 [email protected]

ARRI Film & TV Services,BerlinFilm Lab, DI, TV Postproduction,VFX, SoundMandy RahnT +49 30 408 17 [email protected] Film & TV Services,CologneDI, TV Postproduction, SoundMarkus KlaffT +49 221 57165 [email protected]

Schwarz Film,LudwigsburgFilm Lab, DI, TV PostproductionAlexander BarthelT +49 89 3809 [email protected]

HUNGARYARRI Rental BudapestCameras, GripClemens DanzerT +36 1 5500 [email protected]

LUXEMBOURGARRI Rental LuxembourgCamerasSteffen DitterT +352 2670 [email protected]

UNITED KINGDOMARRI Lighting Rental, LondonLightingTommy MoranT +44 1895 457 [email protected] Focus, LondonShort term lighting hirefor commercials & promosMartin Maund, George MartinT +44 1895 810 [email protected]@arrifocus.comARRI Media, LondonCameras, GripRussell AllenT +44 1895 457 [email protected] Crew, LondonDiary ServiceKate CollierT +44 1895 457 [email protected]

USAARRI CSC, New JerseyCameras, Lighting, GripHardwrick Johnson,Lynn GustafsonT +1 212 757 [email protected]@arricsc.comARRI CSC, FloridaCameras, Lighting, GripEd StammT +1 954 322 [email protected] Dynamics, LALighting, GripCarly Barber, Maria CarpenterT +1 818 686 [email protected]@illuminationdynamics.comIllumination Dynamics,North Carolina,Cameras, Lighting, GripJeff PentekT +1 704 679 [email protected]

ARRI PARTNERSAUSTRALIACameraquip,Melbourne, BrisbaneCamerasMalcolm RichardsT +61 3 9699 3922T +61 7 3844 [email protected]

CYPRUSSeahorse Films,Nicosia, PaphosCameras, Lighting,Grip, StudioAndros AchilleosT +357 9967 [email protected]

GERMANYMaddel’s Cameras,HamburgCameras, GripMatthias NeumannT +49 40 66 86 [email protected]

HUNGARYVisionTeam L.O., BudapestCameras, Lighting, GripGabor RajnaT +36 1 433 [email protected]

ICELANDPegasus Pictures, ReykjavikCameras, Lighting, GripSnorri ThorissonT +354 414 [email protected]

INDIAAnand Cine Service,ChennaiCameras, Lighting, Grip,Film Lab, DITarun KumarT: +91 44 4598 [email protected]

JAPANNAC Image Technology,TokyoCamerasTomofumi MasudaHiromi ShindomeT +81 3 5211 [email protected]

NEW ZEALANDCamera Tech, WellingtonCamerasPeter FlemingT +64 4562 [email protected]

Xytech Technologies,AucklandLightingStephen PryorT +64 9 377 99 [email protected]

ROMANIAPanalight Studio, BucharestCameras, Lighting, GripDiana ApostolT +40 727 358 [email protected]

SOUTH AFRICAMedia Film Service,Cape Town, Johannesburg,Durban, NamibiaCameras, Lighting,Grip, StudioJannie van WykT +27 21 511 [email protected]

UNITED ARAB EMIRATESFilmquip Media, DubaiCameras, Lighting, GripAnthony Smythe, Aaron HughesT +971 4 439 [email protected]@filmquipmedia.com

Page 3: VisionARRI Magazine Issue 12

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VISIONARRI

VisionARRI would like to thank the following contributors:Susanne Bieger, Mark Hope-Jones, Uwe Hotz, Ingo Klingspon, Wendy Mattock,Judith Petty, Angela Reedwisch, Andrea Rosenwirth, Michelle Smith, Sabine Welte

Front Cover Photo: Andrew Schwartz. © 2011 New Line Productions, Inc. All rights reserved.

CONTENTS

18 STEREO 3D POSTPRODUCTIONFOR WICKIE AND THE TREASUREOF THE GODSARRI Film & TV posts Viking adventure Wickieand the Treasure of the Gods in its newstate-of-the-art 3D grading suite

22 KEEPING IT IN THE ALEXA FAMILYNew creative options as the ALEXArange expands

24 SHOOTING THE JURYTim Fleming, ISC, reflects on shooting five-part,prime-time drama series The Jury

26 A COMPELLING FORCE FORMOVING IMAGE INSTALLATIONSARRI Commercial forms new creative partnershipwith design agency lucie_p

28 LOOK: NO LENSESARRI introduces the M40/25, another fixture inthe award-winning, lens-less M-Series

30 WORLD WITHOUT ENDDenis Crossan, BSC, discusses eight-partmedieval miniseries World Without End

32 W.E.Hagen Bogdanski talks about his work onMadonna’s second feature film

34 DIGITAL SERVICESARRI’s rental and postproduction teams establishDigital Services division to provide on-set support

36ON-SET PRESENCEJosef Reidinger, ARRI Film & TV’s ManagingDirector, discusses the future direction of ARRI’spostproduction services

39 THE PERFECT PORTRAIT LENSA new focal length of 135 mm extends theMaster Prime set

40 A GLASS QUARTETNew ARRI/FUJINON zooms make anAlura foursome

41 NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

46 PRODUCTION UPDATE

32

4 NEW YEAR’S EVECharles Minsky, ASC, on shooting Garry Marshall’sromantic comedy

8 THE THREE MUSKETEERSInterview with Paul W. S. Anderson and GlenMacPherson, CSC, ASC

12 ALEXA DEVELOPMENTS120 fps high speed and new ARRI Look Files for ALEXA

14 SINBADGavin Finney, BSC, chronicles the swash-buckling adventuresof Sinbad

16 TOM SAWYER AND 2-PERFORATION2-perforation delivers the desired look for budget-consciousremake of boyhood classic

16

Page 4: VisionARRI Magazine Issue 12

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VisionARRI: How did you come tochoose ALEXA for this film?

Charles Minsky: Very early on in testingthe ALEXA it became clear to me that itwas a real game-changer. I shot tests inthe daytime, at night, in the studio andin Times Square, and went through thefull DI process. We really scrutinizedwhat the ALEXA looked like compared to

film and we were just blown away. I wasvery excited and I said to Garry, ‘Listen,I know we’ve done every other movie onfilm and this is outside our comfort zone,but I think it could really have a positiveeffect on the movie.’ I explained to himthat the ALEXA could make all the nightshooting we were going to do mucheasier. He wasn’t opposed to it, but he

was concerned about making theactresses look good, so I had to doquite a lot of tests to make sure he feltcomfortable. As we went along he sawthat the ALEXA wasn’t like earlier HDcameras that just looked brittle orexcessively sharp – instead it seems tohave the same quality as film.

Since their first collaboration on Pretty Woman in 1990, director Garry Marshall and cinematographerCharles Minsky, ASC, have worked together on some of the best loved romantic comedies of recent times.Following the success of the ensemble piece Valentine’s Day last year, an equally impressive cast ofHollywood stars was brought together for New Year’s Eve, which follows the intertwining lives and lovesof New Yorkers getting ready to usher in the new year at a party in Times Square. For the first time,Marshall and Minsky chose to shoot digitally, with ALEXA cameras provided by ARRI CSC.

NEWYEAR’S

EVE An interview with Charles Minsky, ASC

Page 5: VisionARRI Magazine Issue 12

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VA: And of course with such anamazing cast you had a lot oftop actors and actresses to makelook good.

CM: Literally every few days we wouldget a new actor, or two actors, or threeactors; it wasn’t like lighting the sameperson all the time. Each new actorwould also mean new make-up, a newhairdresser and new wardrobe person,so it became quite a challenge. To keep

them all looking good you’ve got to lightthem differently and I didn’t really havea chance to do any tests on thembeforehand because they simply weren’tavailable, so it was clear that we wouldjust have to do it on the spot.

VA: As you say, there were plentyof night scenes in the movie. Didyou go above the EI 800 basesensitivity at any point?

CM: Yes. I remember we were halfwaythrough a scene on a rooftop, 22 storiesup, and suddenly all of the buildingsaround us just turned off their lights.Luckily we had already captured enoughshots to lay the background lights inlater, in post, but all of a sudden it wasjust much darker, so we went up to EI1280 and it was beautiful. I was verypleased, I was thrilled actually.�

Page 6: VisionARRI Magazine Issue 12

NEW YEAR’S EVE

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VA: Was ALEXA’s dynamic rangealso an important factor?

CM: One of the things in cinematographythat you look for is shadows; you look forblacks and with ALEXA the blacks areextremely rich. Even when I went to EI1280, I didn’t have to worry about them.I think the bigger concern for me was theexteriors. We were shooting on snow,with a lot of light bouncing everywhere,and my experience with digital in thepast has been that the highlights get veryhot and you lose all the definition in thelight. With ALEXA it’s much easier toshoot in high contrast situations. I felt likeI had complete control and could retainas much detail as I wanted.

VA: What was your recordingsolution and image workflow?

CM: Basically the workflow we decidedto go with was one that New Line hadused on an earlier film. We recorded to

HDCAM SR tapes, backed them up,sent them to the lab and the lab wouldtransfer everything. The only time werecorded to the on-board SxS PRO cardswas when we were shooting Steadicam.Garry loves to have dailies, so everyday we’d have a truck follow us nomatter where we were. Even if we wereshooting nights we’d project dailiesbefore the call time.

VA: Did you find that usingALEXA had much of an impacton your lighting?

CM: The idea that shooting with HD youdon’t need lights just isn’t reality.Cinematographers deal with lightingemotion into various situations; you needlights because you’ve got to have controland continuity. That fundamental processhasn’t changed; the difference is that I’mlighting to a monitor in a darkenvironment and of course the

immediacy of that is a huge advantage.If I have a question in my mind aboutwhether to put in or take out a double,or turn a light on or off, I can see itright there in front of me and make adecision. I tend to ‘ball park’ the lightingon set and then go to the tent to figureout the subtleties of how I want torefine it.

VA: You shot in Times Square onthe real New Year’s Eve with13 ALEXAs, which was morethan ARRI CSC had ever sentout on one job. How did thatcome about?

CM: That was before the main shoot,and as we were getting ready for it werealized that we would need a lot ofplate cameras. I thought we’d useseveral different types of cameras, butwhen I talked to ARRI CSC they justasked how many we needed. I told them

“I ACTUALLY TOOK ONE OF THECAMERAS MYSELF AND WALKEDTHE STREETS FOR EIGHT HOURS.I’M A NEW YORKER, BUT I HADNEVER BEFORE EXPERIENCEDNEW YEAR’S EVE IN TIMESSQUARE AND IT WAS FABULOUS.”

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we needed 11 or 12 and they saidthey’d come back to me within a day.One day later they called back and saidthey could do it, by which time I’drealized I actually needed 13 cameras.They said OK, you can have 13 ALEXAs,which was fantastic because it made itso much easier than having two or threedifferent camera systems. The quality

was incredible and I know our visualeffects supervisor was thrilled with whatshe had. It worked out really great andwe were all very happy.

VA: It must have been amazing tobe there and capture all of thoseNew Year’s Eve emotions for real.

CM: I actually took one of the camerasmyself and walked the streets for eighthours. I’m a New Yorker, but I had neverbefore experienced New Year’s Eve inTimes Square and it was fabulous, it wasjust great. At around the time when theball drops it got very quiet and therewas just a magical atmosphere, witheverybody getting along with each otherand being so friendly. I think that feelingis what Garry loved about the story.Everybody’s got their own thoughts andissues going into New Year’s Eve;building up to Times Square all of thecharacters have their own stories and

then when the music starts it’s like OK,here it is – one night that might changeyour life, or might not. �

Mark Hope-Jones

“WITH ALEXAIT’S MUCHEASIER TOSHOOT IN HIGHCONTRASTSITUATIONS. IFELT LIKE I HADCOMPLETECONTROL ANDCOULD RETAINAS MUCH DETAILAS I WANTED.”

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Page 8: VisionARRI Magazine Issue 12

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Director and producer Paul W. S. Anderson’s spectacular new take on The Three Musketeers in realstereo 3D, produced by Constantin Film and Impact Pictures, is nothing short of a reinvigoration of oneof the most traditional but rather timeworn film genres. The filmmaker, previously known for futuristicdystopias such as the Resident Evil franchise, and his DoP Glen MacPherson, CSC, ASC, chose ARRI’sALEXA digital camera system for this undertaking. Postproduction of this large-scale British-Germancollaboration was completed in the brand new 3D grading suite at ARRI Film & TV in Munich.

Interview with director Paul W. S. Anderson and DoP Glen MacPherson, CSC, ASC

Page 9: VisionARRI Magazine Issue 12

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VisionARRI: As a filmmakeryou are not only exceptionallysuccessful but also extremelyversatile, taking on the role ofdirector and writer, as well asproducer. Which of these do youfind most satisfying?

Paul W. S. Anderson: That keepschanging. When you’re working on ascreenplay, you are usually alone withyour thoughts. As the director of a filmyou discuss your ideas with hundreds ofpeople. At some point you get tired oftalking to that many people and youcan barely wait to get home, to closethe door behind you and focus on yourown thoughts. After a few months ofthat, with no one interested in what I’mthinking or wishing for, it’s nice to beback on the set shooting a film. As awriter and a director, I can enjoy thebest of both of these workingenvironments. But in the end it’s partof a continuous process for me. I’m avery visual person in the way that I think.When I’m working on a script, I’m moreor less already in preproduction on aproject, especially if it’s an action movie.Then I think about how to capture all thiswith the camera.

Even as a child I wanted to become adirector, at first without knowing what

that entails. And since no one came byto entrust a young guy like myself witha film or a script, I wrote my ownscreenplays. That’s how I became ascreenwriter. And the more I learnedabout directing, the more I wanted to bein control of the entire process. That’show I became a producer. All of thatwas just a way for me to get on the set,next to the cameras and the actors.

VA: Your most recent film, anew take on Dumas’ The ThreeMusketeers, doesn’t – at leastat first glance – fit into yourprevious body of work except forits action elements. Up to nowthe name Paul W. S. Andersonhas been associated withapocalyptic scenarios and notwith cloak and dagger periodpieces. Was it an unusualchallenge?

PA: Honestly, in terms of the method itdoesn’t really make a difference whetheryou’re shooting a period piece or a sci-fifilm. A sci-fi film is a period piece too,it’s just set in the future. In both casesyou can’t just step out onto the street andstart filming. You have to design eachdetail, each location, each costume andeach mode of transportation deliberately.You create a unique world, whether it’s

a futuristic scenario or the illusion ofFrance in the 17th century.

VA: Knowing your body of work,it’s probably safe to assume thatyou weren’t interested in makinga stereo 3D version of atraditional musketeer film?

PA: After the Pirates of the Caribbeanfilms, which have redefined the genre,we needed a fresh and unique take inorder to make an entertaining film thatyoung audiences today are willing tosee. Our idea was to portray themusketeers as a team of super spiesconfronted with nearly unsolvable tasks,like James Bond or Ethan Hunt inMission Impossible – just 400 yearsearlier. The makers of Pirates of theCaribbean used the element of magic toelevate their story to an interesting andnew level. In our case it’s technology thatis moving our story along. We handedour heroes the high tech tools of the17th century to complete their tasks.And so it’s no surprise that at the verybeginning of the film they break intoLeonardo da Vinci’s secret hiding placein Venice, where he kept all the designsand drafts of machines he hadn’t yetmade, which become the source of thetechnologies of this film.�

� PAUL W.S. ANDERSON sets up a scene with Milla Jovovich VISIONARRI

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Page 10: VisionARRI Magazine Issue 12

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THE THREE MUSKETEERS

VA: You chose ALEXA digitalcameras and Master Primelenses from ARRI, rigged ontoCAMERON-PACE 3D rigs for thisfilm. What were the reasonsbehind these choices?

PA: After working on Resident Evil:Afterlife in 3D, Glen and I wanted tohave the best camera system for this film.The ALEXA cameras don’t just reflectwhere today’s stereo 3D technology is,they are defining it. That’s why we wentto ARRI last year and literally grabbedthe first ALEXA models straight out of thehands of the engineers duringmanufacturing and put them on our rigs.

VA: It’s often said that lightingfor 3D films is quite differentcompared to regular films.Can you confirm that?

Glen MacPherson: I don’t see a bigdifference. Many people say you needmore light because of the depth of fieldand the 3D effects. But I can’t reallyconfirm that. The biggest challenge wasshooting in these old castles here in

Bavaria. The delicate tapestries and thefurniture prohibited the use of floodlights,for the most part. We had to work with avery low level of lighting and we tried tomake do in those huge rooms with just afew lamps. That’s when the ALEXA,combined with the Master Primes,showed its enormous potential.

VA: What can you say about thecomposition and the framing ofthe film?

GM: The composition overall was verysymmetrical, mostly with a large fieldof vision.

VA: What look were yougoing for?

PA: I wanted to make a very colorful,bright and enjoyable film, a realpopcorn movie. Glen and I developeda look while working on our last twopictures that I would call “hyperreal.”Most of all I wanted to make a real 3Dfilm. When the image is bright, you getmuch more depth. That’s true for thenight shots as well, when there are onlytorches in the frame. Even though the

shots are extremely light and bright, youstill know that they are night scenes. Weshot in a historical environment but gaveit a look that’s fresh and modern so thatit also appeals to a younger audience.Having up to eight ALEXA cameras onthe set made it possible to create thishyperreal, saturated and very colorfullook, which, in my opinion, is perfectfor this film – giving it an expensive,glossy look.

VA: Are there set rules for the useof lenses on stereo 3D films?

PA: What I liked about Glen from thestart was that he warned me aboutexperts who insist there are rules for3D. One frequently repeated rule, forexample, is not to use lenses with a longfocal length, because they apparentlyreduce the depth of field so that the 3Deffect gets lost. On our first 3D projectwe tested whether or not that was reallytrue. We even shot with 150 mm lensesand found that you can still distinguishbetween 3D and 2D. We continued toquestion these rules. We shot a fightscene with 75 mm lenses, which is rather

“ARRI’S CAMERA TECHNOLOGY AND POSTPRODUCTIONCAPABILITIES ARE SETTING INTERNATIONALSTANDARDS, WHICH IS THE REASON WE CHOSE TOPOST THE THREE MUSKETEERS HERE IN MUNICH.”

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unusual. At the same time I often droveGlen insane with my insistence on usingwide lenses as often as possible. It’s veryeffective to shoot a close-up with a 150mm lens, if the story calls for it, and thento cut to the wide shot. That’s when the3D effect really grabs you.

VA: How do you balance fastaction sequences and the effectthat stereo 3D has on theaudience during editing?

PA: The biggest impact of 3D is probablyon editing. Comparing my last 2D film,Death Race 2, to Resident Evil: Afterlife,my first 3D project, the edit list for 3Dwas only half as long – even thoughboth are action films. In order to give theaudience the possibility to really get thatsense of space, you can’t cut as quicklyas we used to. This affects the actors themost, because they have to get used tolonger and more choreographed actionsequences. For The Three Musketeers theactors had to take fencing lessons forseveral weeks so that the 3D fightsequences would look believable.

VA: Does 3D affect the length ofa production?

PA: We shoot our films very quickly;that didn’t change in 3D. We filmed ourlast three films in exactly 55 days. Myco-producers, Jeremy Bolt, Robert Kulzer,and I joke about that. We gave up onshooting schedules. What you need is avision that you can follow. For each day

we’re on the set we have a plan. Thatdoesn’t mean we follow it slavishly, butwe at least have one. That gives you asense of security and gets you throughthe day.

VA: That sounds like there is littleroom for spontaneous decisions?

PA: On the contrary, but you have tomake spontaneous decisions quickly. Ifyou’re shooting films at a fast pace youare constantly confronted with situationsthat you have to react to quickly. Forexample, the weather in Bavaria is likethe weather in England, it changesalmost hourly. Sometimes it rains,sometimes there’s sunshine, sometimesthere’s fog. Poor Glen had to beprepared for that so we could keepshooting.

VA: The Three Musketeers wasgraded in the new 3D gradingsuite at ARRI Film & TV in Munich.What was your experience?

PA: Perfect preparation thanks to HaraldSchernthaner [ARRI Head of DigitalFilmworks] and Christopher Berg[Postproduction Supervisor] made thisthe best postproduction experience I canthink of. We were the first film crew thatgot to enjoy the technologicalcapabilities of the brand new 3Dgrading suite at ARRI Film & TV. Glenwas in Munich a few days before Iarrived to perfect the depth grading withConstantin Seiler [Post Stereographer]

and to complete the color grading withTraudl Nicholson [ARRI Lead ColorGrader], which went exceptionally well.Traudl is an incredibly talented colorgrader. In particular, the speed andflexibility in the workflows of the ARRIteam convinced us. For example, whenwe received VFX data updates fromToronto [Mr. X Inc.], they were online andprojected onto the large silver screen inthe 3D grading suite an hour later. Later,in LA, the test screenings confirmed justhow good the results were. The reactionswere extremely enthusiastic.

VA: Where do you see the futureof 3D in cinema?

PA: The production of feature films in 3Din terms of technology is, at the moment,certainly the most dynamic realm ofinternational filmmaking. The 3Dworkflow is currently being redefinedmore or less every six months. AndARRI’s camera technology andpostproduction capabilities are settinginternational standards, which is thereason we chose to post the The ThreeMusketeers here in Munich. Payinghigher ticket prices the audiencerightfully expects higher quality, meaningfilms that are actually conceived as 3Dproductions need to be designed andexecuted to make good on the promiseof providing a unique viewingexperience. �

Ingo Klingspon

� GLEN MACPHERSON,CSC, ASC

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As of ALEXA Software Update Packet (SUP) 4.0, ALEXAcameras have been able to apply custom ‘looks’ to manipulatethe image output for different applications and individualcreative preferences.

ARRI Look Files are XML files that can be created with aMAC OS X application and then loaded into an ALEXAcamera in order to modify the look of images coming outof that camera. They enable DoPs to define various looks fora production and view images on set that are as close totheir final intentions as possible. A look can be previewedon monitors or recorded into the image; either way allthe associated metadata travel embedded in the mediainto postproduction.

Look files are different from look-up tables (LUTs), whichchange one color space to another, for example from Log Cto video. In essence, ARRI Look Files are a purely creativetool and whether they are created by the colorist or by theDoP, they encourage greater and earlier interaction betweenproduction and post.

The ARRI Look Creator is a MAC OS X application that cancreate look files for ALEXA through an easy-to-use interfacebased on film lab thinking, with printer light settings. Thisfree-of-charge program is currently under beta testing; it canbe downloaded at ARRI’s website, along with a quick guide.ARRI Look Files can also be created using Silverstack SET fromPomfort, with other developers planning to release their ownapplications in the near future.

Each look file is based on a Log C DPX picture grab takenfrom an ALEXA and imported to the camera; creating looksbased on ARRIRAW will be possible in a future softwareupgrade.

ARRI LOOK FILES AND LOOK CREATOR

Download the free ARRI Look Creator:www.arri.com/downloads/alexa

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DEVELOPMENTS120 fps high speed and new ARRI Look Files for ALEXA

120 FPS HIGH SPEED MODE

In response to feedback from end users and the rapid take-upof the ARRI ALEXA camera system on professional productionsof all kinds, ARRI has created a High Speed mode that canrecord slow motion images using frame rates from 60to 120 fps.

The 120 fps feature will become available with the releaseof ALEXA Software Update Packet (SUP) 5.0 and theappearance on the market of Sony’s new 64 GB SxS PROcards (SBP-64A), which offer a write speed more than twotimes faster than the current 32 GB cards. Like the ALEXAanamorphic de-squeeze feature, 120 fps functionality canbe activated via a license – available through ARRI’srental facilities.

ALEXA’s High Speed mode can record slow motion images to64 GB SxS PRO cards using all codecs up to ProRes 422 HQ.The 64 GB cards also allow ProRes 4444 filming at up to 60fps in Regular Speed mode. High Speed mode retains ALEXA’sunique high image performance including the film-like, organiclook, wide exposure latitude and natural skin tones. Since HighSpeed mode uses the same Super 35, 16:9 sensor area asRegular Speed mode, both the cinematic depth of field and thelenses’ field of view match perfectly between the two modes.

Having full quality 120 fps functionality available on ALEXAcameras will be of tremendous benefit to a range of differentproduction types. It gives directors and cinematographers theopportunity to create slow motion images without the expenseand possible delay of having to get a specialized high speedcamera to the set. In simple terms this means greater creativefreedom, which is the guiding principle of the ALEXA system.

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SinbadSinbad is an Impossible Pictures production for Sky1 HD and BBC Worldwide, with assistancefrom Nine Network Australia. This epic 12-hour drama follows the mythical exploits of 21-year-old Sinbad, who flees his home town of Basra under a curse and finds himself cast out to sea inthe company of an intriguing band of travellers. Serving as cinematographer alongside directorAndy Wilson on the first 10-week block of an eight-month shoot – and establishing the look forthe series – was Gavin Finney, BSC. The Malta-based production, serviced by ARRI Media andARRI Lighting Rental in London, made the decision to shoot with ARRI ALEXA cameras.

Gavin Finney, BSC, uses ALEXAto create a modern look for theswash-buckling adventures of…

VisionARRI: How did ALEXA come to be chosenfor Sinbad?

Gavin Finney: You always have to look at what the productionrequires and in this case we were shooting entirely in Malta,which is a hot country with bright sunshine and a lot of dustflying around, so we needed a solid and reliable camera.In addition, the director wanted very fluid, handheldcamerawork, so we were after a lightweight system, but alsoone that could cope with the sunlight and shadow. The ALEXA,with its wide dynamic range and on-board SxS cardrecording, was exactly what we were looking for.

VA: And how did you set about visualizing such anancient legend for today’s young audiences?

GF: It was very much a modern day approach, both in terms ofthe casting and the way it was shot. We always worked withtwo cameras and we were handheld about 80% of the time,which kept it very free and loose. The core cast were all fairlynew actors, in fact the guy playing Sinbad hadn’t evengraduated from drama school, so we wanted to let them goand just follow them, in order to capture some of that energy.If we’d locked the camerawork down on tracks, that in turnwould have meant the actors being locked down to their marks.

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VA: As well as Cooke S4 primes, you had theARRI/FUNINON Alura 18-80 & 45-250 zooms.What did you think of them?

GF: The Aluras were something I really wanted to try. Thenormal package of two Optimo zooms is very adaptable, butthey are quite heavy lenses. I was interested in a lighter weightalternative because of the speed at which we’d be working.We were doing 40 or 50 setups a day, so having less weightto move around really helps the crew. I also knew it would begood to have a zoom that could go on a crane withoutoverloading it, so the smaller and lighter Aluras looked like agood bet. And technically they were fantastic – very sharp andsolid, with no vignetting or irising.

VA: Did you stray from the EI 800 base sensitivity?

GF: I prefer to stay at EI 800 and use IRND filters for dayexteriors, even though it is a lot of ND. I did occasionally pushit to EI 1600, which was very useful when we had to extendthe day. In Malta you’re nearer the equator, so the sun setsvery quickly; you don’t get a magic hour, you get a magic fewminutes and then it’s dark. Being able to push the camera to1600 allowed us to wring every second out of that end of theday. It was extraordinary really – the director would beconvinced that it was too dark to shoot but you’d look at themonitor and it was fine.

VA: Were your crew comfortable with the camera’sfunctionality and menu structure?

GF: Yes, the crew adapted very quickly. The ALEXA menustructure is simple to learn and knowing that there is a limit tohow much you can change is great; I really hate cameras thathave 75 pages of menus and you have no idea what tweakshave been made deep down. Being able to change the framerate without changing the SxS card was also useful – it’s alltimesaving and often means the director can have an extra take.

VA: Was there studio as well as location work?What kind of lighting challenges did you face?

GF: The designer built the top deck of Sinbad’s ship by thedeep tank at the MFS studios in Malta. It was on a turntable sowe could point in any direction we liked and shoot day ornight. The full-size, below-deck set was built in a studio andwas a challenge to light because we wanted to see everything,including the ceiling and the floor at the same time, so we hadto use hidden Kino Flos and small tungsten lights, as well asin-shot candles and torches. As the set was fixed, gaffer MarkTaylor built a free-swinging lighting rig above the set to helpsimulate movement. Again, with a lot of in-shot flame, it helpshaving a camera with the range of the ALEXA because thebrightest part of the flame doesn’t clip and it feels more natural.

We used the LFXHub for a flicker effect; you can plug in anumber of different types of light and have them all flickeringrandomly, so it looks very real. We had that both inside andoutside to supplement torch light and real flame, and itblended in extremely well. There was a range of differentshooting situations and everything had to be lit or adapted insome way. Even with day exteriors you’ve got to control thebright sun as it goes across the sky, so we had a lot ofreflectors and large lights to combat that.

VA: What were your recording and imageworkflow solutions?

GF: We shot everything ProRes 4444 Log C onto SxS PROcards and the quality was excellent. On the camera truck wehad a MacBook Pro that we used to do our own backups ofthe SxS cards. Then the cards went to the editors and they didanother backup before we wiped them. The great thing abouthaving our own archive of the original material was that wecould check back on anything without relying on DVD rushes,which are usually very low quality.

I used the ALEXA’s frame grab facility a lot, which wassomething I’ve always wanted in a camera. It means that atthe end of a production I’ve got a library of perhaps 500 stills,taken by ALEXA on each lighting setup and captured on a littleSD card, which I can then grade at home and use as a startingpoint for the online grade. It’s great if you’re operating thesecond camera, as I was, because you can have it as a userselect button and quickly capture frames whenever you want.

Sinbad will premiere on the UK’s Sky1 HD channel in 2012.At the time of press, cinematographers that have followedGavin Finney on subsequent blocks are: Peter Sinclair andFabian Wagner. �

Mark Hope-Jones

� GAVIN FINNEY, BSC, at the viewfinder of an ALEXA

� ON SET: Ashely Bond, A-camera 1st AC; Xandy Sahla, A-cameraoperator; Gavin Finney, BSC; Alex Howe, B-camera 1st AC (left to right)

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As a young boy, Schönfelder was ahuge Tom Sawyer fan and fondlyremembers growing up with TomSawyers und Huckleberry FinnsAbenteuer, a German-Romanian-Frenchco-production from the Sixties. Now thistimeless classic has been remade for thenext generation with an adaptation byscreenwriter Sascha Arango that staysfaithful to the original text. In the film,just like in the novel, Tom Sawyer (LouisHofmann) prefers to spend his time withhis best buddy, Huck Finn (Leon Seidel),who lives at the outskirts of town in abarrel – much to the dismay of his AuntPolly (Heike Makatsch), who raises Tomand his half-brother Sid (AndreasWarmbrunn) in St. Petersburg, a townlocated on the shores of the Mississippi.

With Arango’s well-crafted screenplay,acclaimed German director HermineHuntgeburt, known for her successfulliterary adaptations, began to preparethis period piece. She conductedextensive costume and make-up tests,

although producer Schönfelder’s mainconcern was the film’s locations. To him,it was never an issue whether or not theAmerican classic could be shot inEurope; instead, it was simply an issueof finding suitable locations. The riverHavel, in Berlin-Brandenburg, quicklyproved to be an ideal substitute for theMississippi. “You just have to look at thelatitude of this town Mark Twain istalking about,” says Schönfelder. “Whattype of vegetation does it have? Andyou’d be surprised – it’s quite similar toCentral Europe. We tend to think of theAmerican South, but that played agreater role in Huckelberry Finn, whenthere’s a real journey.”

It was far more difficult to find MarkTwain’s St. Petersburg. During theextensive location scout, Schönfelder hadreservations because he knew “wecouldn’t afford to build the whole town.It would cost one-and-a-half to twomillion Euros to build a set like thatproperly, which meant that if we didn’t

find a location that had some of thesebasic elements then we wouldn’t havebeen able to do it. I was quiteconcerned until we found this set inBucharest, which was actually what wasleft of the Cold Mountain set. Once wefound that, I told everyone: now we canmake this film.” The set was originallybuilt in the mountains, about a three-hourdrive from the capital, for directorAnthony Minghella’s Cold Mountain,starring Nicole Kidman and Jude Law.After the film had wrapped, it wasmoved to the outskirts of Bucharest.“The entire village, except for NicoleKidman‘s house, is still completelyintact,” says Schönfelder.

Once the production had the perfectcostumes, make-up and locations inplace to bring Tom Sawyer andSt. Petersburg back to life, it wastime to think about how to capturethe envisioned images. Schönfelder,Huntgeburt and The Chau Ngo felt thata film look would best capture Tom’s

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TOM SAWYER and 2-PERFORATIONEveryone knows him: Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer. He has fascinated countless youngsters over the years,among them producer Boris Schönfelder (Der Albaner, North Face, Antibodies), who has brought theclassic story back to the big screen. The film, produced under Schönfelder’s Neue SchönhauserFilmproduktion banner, was directed by Hermine Huntgeburt (Effie Briest, The White Massai, BibiBlocksberg) and shot on 35 mm utilizing 2-perforation camera movements by cinematographer The ChauNgo (Almanya, Schwerkraft, Phantom Pain). This recording format, which goes back to the originalTechniscope format and had its heyday in the 1960s, is what gives this film its unique look.

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world, set in the late 19th century, andwould be most effective in transportingthe audience back to those times. Thefilm was also meant to have a timelessquality, just like Mark Twain’s novel,although the viewing habits of theaudience also factored into this, becauseaudiences associate a certain look withperiod films. The production companywas considering a widescreen format forthe film, but Cinemascope, anamorphiclenses and 35 mm 4-perforation or even3-perforation were not an option forbudgetary reasons.

Schönfelder recalls briefly havingconsidered shooting the film on a digitalformat. The ALEXA would have been anattractive alternative, but the producerand his team were convinced “thatTom Sawyer needed a film look, andwe wondered how we could afford apotentially horrendous shooting ratio on35 mm. That’s how we arrived at the2-perforation option.” The decision toshoot 35 mm 2-perforation afforded theproduction the desired film look, thewidescreen effect and the historicalquality at a manageable cost. The filmwas shot on ARRICAM Studio and Litecameras with 2-perforation movementsand Cooke S4 lenses.

As a recording format 2-perforation hasits origins in the Techniscope format of the1960s, which Sergio Leone used to shoothis spaghetti westerns. With a nativeaspect ratio of 2.39:1, 2-perforationdelivers a cinematic, widescreen lookthat takes advantage of the full width ofa 35 mm frame. As film is advanced bytwo perforations instead of the traditionalfour perforations, previously unusedspace between frames is eliminated. Thistranslates to less stock and, consequently,

a reduction in processing costs, with onlya minimal reduction in negative areacompared to 4-perforation. ForSchönfelder and his team this was acrucial consideration: “We knew wewould be shooting with two cameras a lotbecause we were working with children,which meant the raw stock expense wasdefinitely an issue.”

The 2-perforation format also allowslonger individual takes, as a singlemagazine effectively lasts twice as long.Regardless of the shooting conditions,having to reload half as often comparedto conventional 4-perforation means thatfilming doesn’t have to be interrupted asmuch. This was a great advantage onthe Tom Sawyer set because the castincluded a number of children, whoseworking hours are strictly regulated bylabor laws. Filming on location inRomania was, due to the weatherconditions, rather challenging as well,and so it was indeed a great advantageto change magazines less often and nothave to worry about the raw stock usage.

The Techniscope format of the Sixtiesquickly went out of style, mostly due tothe fact that the look was rather grainy.This had less to do with the smallerrecording surface than the loss of onegeneration during processing in the lab.The current renaissance of 35 mm2-perforation can be attributed to theimproved 2-perforation movements forthe ARRICAM Studio, ARRICAM Lite andARRIFLEX 235 cameras, but most of allto the digital intermediate workflow,which eliminates the previousgenerational loss. The ARRISCAN filmscanner scans 2-perforation footageexactly the same way as 3 or4-perforation material. The DI process

for 2-perforation doesn’t involve anyadditional work or expense and later,the ARRILASER produces perfectCinemascope prints, just as ARRI Film &TV Services did for Tom Sawyer, havingalso been entrusted with the productionof the release prints.

While 2-perforation brought definiteadvantages to Tom Sawyer, there werepotential hazards, such as the flames of acampfire bleeding from one frame into thenext, due to the lack of space betweenthem. “That’s definitely a constraint of the2-perforation format, but it’s not a criticalissue,” says Schönfelder. “If that happensthen it can be corrected and in the end,the upside is much greater than thedownside. It’s a cost-efficient option andproved an interesting format for us,especially since we didn’t yet want to turnour back on film and also because weknew we would need a lot of raw stock.”The advantages of the 2-perforationformat, the unique cinematic, widescreenlook and the excellent resolution – at asubstantially lower cost – clearlyoutweighed the disadvantages.

The fact that the team around Schönfelderand Huntgeburt also went on to shootHuck Finn on 35 mm 2-perforationindicates that everyone involved waspleased with the results. Shot duringOctober 2011, Huck Finn, just likeTom Sawyer, was filmed in Berlin-Brandenburg, Romania and Cologne.Camera, lighting and grip equipmentwas provided by ARRI Rental Berlin.Huck Finn is currently in postproductionat ARRI Film & TV Services. �

Susanne Bieger

� BORIS SCHÖNFELDER

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“It’s a great accomplishment to accommodate and support twosuch massive productions at the same time and without anyproblems. We owe it to ARRI’s logistics department and DIProducer Christian Herrmann,” marvels ARRI Lead ColoristRainer Schmidt, who was responsible for the 3D color gradingof Wickie and the Treasure of the Gods (producer: ChristianBecker, director: Christian Ditter, DoP: Christian Rein). DIColorist Bianca Pieroth supported him on the project. “For me,”Schmidt continues, “it was an incredibly educational journey.Both projects started postproduction here in-house, in the samesuite, on the same day. ARRI Lead Colorist Traudl Nicholson,responsible for The Three Musketeers (director/producer: PaulW. S. Anderson, DoP: Glen MacPherson, CSC, ASC), workedthe dayshift. We, the Wickie team, worked the nightshift. Wemet in passing every day, which was a definite advantagebecause we could share our 3D grading experiences workingon a feature film shot on the ALEXA – a task that was stillrelatively new to both of us.”

Contrasts with less lightCurrently, the biggest challenge grading 3D material lies in thetechnical limitations of 3D projection itself. “Never mind thefact that it can be slightly unpleasant having to wear stereoglasses all the time, a color grader with a 2D background hasto get used to how much light 3D ‘swallows’,” says Schmidt.The luminance – the light reflected from the screen – has onlyone third of the intensity compared to 2D. “This means thecontrasts have to be distributed differently during color gradingto make sure the image looks correct,” explains Schmidt. “Bythat I mean, it looks the way we’re used to seeing it in themovie theater. It’s a much more involved process now and ittakes more time than on a 2D film.”

Certain tools and functions of the Lustre system make gradingfor the right and the left eye easier, “but only to a point.The rest a color grader has to adjust by looking at it,”states Schmidt.

Starting in May 2011, stereo 3D had become the order of the day in postproduction at ARRI Film& TV, Munich, where not one but two productions, The Three Musketeers (Constantin Film) andWickie and the Treasure of the Gods (Rat Pack), took advantage of ARRI’s brand new 3D suiteand its six-meter-wide silver screen. Featuring a state-of-the-art 3D projection system (RealD witha ZScreen), the suite proved to be the ideal place to simulate actual movie theater conditions.

Stereo 3D postproduction for

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On the set two cameras with parallel optical axes record theshots, which means light can enter the lens of one cameraslightly earlier than that of the other one, especially during apan. If that’s the case, then the cameras record differentimages. This has to be rectified in the DI or the viewer willnotice a distracting flicker.

Director Christian Ditter and DoP Christian Rein had very clearideas about the kind of images they were looking for whenthey walked into the ARRI 3D suite. “They both knew exactlywhat they wanted,” Schmidt recalls. “The briefing for coloristson a children’s film is usually short and essentially boils downto two words: bright and colorful. But that wasn’t the case thistime. Wickie has its own look, which is colorful but withoutbright candy-colors. Overall the color balance is leaning moretowards pastel tones.”

Schmidt was especially pleased that the production companyprovided a great deal of leeway during the creative colorcorrection. Thinking about one particularly challenging scene,he recollects, “There was a shot that was supposed to conveya mood of being neither day nor night. We created thatfeeling by using extremely bright light with very few details inthe whites and reducing the color in everything. Breaking thelook in that way made the following sequence appear evenmore colorful.”

It was important to Rein that the look generated in the graderecreated the feel of Kodak 35 mm film stock, whichnecessitated subtle and specific alterations to the digitallyacquired images. “To give you an example, on ALEXA footagegray pavement looks as gray as it does in reality,” notesSchmidt. “On analog film, which is what we’ve been seeing inmovie theaters for decades now, it has a slightly yellow, sunnytouch. This meant that we had to adjust the digital images incolor correction so they would look like the ones we’re used toseeing on the big screen.”

One year prior to the final color grading, Rein conductedcamera tests for Wickie, the first big-budget German featurefilm shot entirely in 3D. Rein summoned not only theelectricians, but also everyone from the make-up, costumeand set design departments to prepare them for the specificchallenges they would face on a digital 3D shoot.

Depth and convergence leadingAfter completing 3D color grading, which took about fourweeks, Schmidt spent another two weeks working with FlorianMaier, CEO of Stereotec and the stereographer on Wickie, tocomplete the depth grading.�

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Having shot Wickie on the set with parallel optical axes, thatis without convergence, the distance between the cameras iswhat defined the depth of the individual shots. In other words,in stereo 3D the traditional two-dimensional frame becomes athree-dimensional one because of the depth, the distancebetween the object closest to the camera (such as the actor)and the object furthest from it (such as the background).

This space, between the closest and furthest objects, can’t becondensed or extended in postproduction, but as a whole itcan be moved away from or closer to the so-called deadwindow – the actual surface of the screen. “This is done toavoid focus problems in important areas of the image,”explains Stereographer Florian Maier. “If possible these areasshould be on the same layer, in terms of the depth,” to ensurethat the images are easy on the eye of the viewer, “who willbe led gently from one shot to the next (convergence leading)without disturbing the viewer’s spatial perception.” Duringdepth grading, decisions are made that affect the depthperception. In order to make characters emotionally moreaccessible for the audience they can be positioned accordinglyin the three-dimensional space and the spatial integration canbe supported by other means (i.e., with ‘floating windows’).

“In the beginning we didn’t have a Lustre tool to quickly movethe 3D image in the three-dimensional space and we feltpressured for time,” reports Schmidt. “But that’s when the tightnetwork of ARRI locations came in handy. I contacted ArneHastedt from Technical Support DI at ARRI Film & TV Servicesin Berlin. He developed a program for us and sent it toMunich. With this new in-house software we were able to

meet our two-week deadline – a wonderful example of internalARRI synergies.”

The stereographer and colorist also optimized the colorgrading to create the best stereo effect. “Here the resolutioncapabilities and the dynamic exposure range of the ALEXAwere crucial and ensured, even in difficult shots, that we couldsee the texture in the background needed to get the 3D effect,”says Maier.

Using the extremely sturdy 3D rigs made out of carbon fiberfrom Stereotec, which ARRI Rental had recommended,prevented possible alignment mistakes in the shots that wouldhave had to be corrected in postproduction. “We were off bya maximum of half a pixel,” the stereographer points out.

On reflection, Schmidt is particularly pleased about the“wealth of S3D know-how and expertise that we’ve amassedhere at ARRI over the course of those weeks. That’s uniquehere in Germany. We are now in the process of training ourother colorists, bringing them quickly up to speed as well.”Working with 3D experts such as Stereotec was a greatadvantage in that regard.

VFX and the deceptive Z-axisIn addition to ScanlineVFX, the company known for watersimulations created with its Flowline Software, ARRI’s VFXspecialists made a significant contribution to Wickie. Thelearning curve here, however, was much steeper. “Theexperience a VFX artist has gained working on 2D filmsdoesn’t help much in S3D,” notes ARRI Head of VFX DominikTrimborn. “You’re pretty much starting from scratch. Even astandard job such as a simple wire removal becomes a muchmore involved task. This doesn’t mean that the workflowchanges that much, it’s the way you approach a shot thatdiffers. Initially, this situation made it difficult to calculate theamount of time required.”

What makes VFX in the three-dimensional space so much moredifficult is that there’s an added dimension: depth, the Z-axis.Therefore the objects in the frame are no longer on one layer buton many different ones. “This means that for every retouchingtask, for every change made in the frame,” explains Trimborn,“we have to determine the exact layer we are working on andwe can’t be off, even by a pixel. Because if you are, you’re notremoving a wire from a frame, you’re creating a bump or anindentation on that particular layer of the image.” There aresome tools (OCULA for NUKE) that compare the recorded datafor the left and the right eye in order to calculate disparity maps,

� 60 VFX SHOTS were created for Wickie by ARRI Film & TV

“THE RESOLUTIONCAPABILITIES AND DYNAMICRANGE OF THE ALEXAWERE CRUCIAL ANDENSURED, EVEN IN DIFFICULTSHOTS, THAT WE COULDSEE THE TEXTURE IN THEBACKGROUND NEEDEDTO GET THE 3D EFFECT.”

WICKIE AND THE TREASURE OF THE GODS

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“but the results aren’t precise enough,” Trimborn states, “andthere’s a lot of manual work to be done during compositing.”

It was therefore important to have the set measurements andall the camera data available while working on the 3D VFX.Those were obtained by the Data Capture System DCS-2,which is linked to the Lens Data System of the ALEXA camerasand the Stereotec 3D rigs. The DCS-2, which ARRI Rental hadinitially developed for the second Narnia film, was modifiedfor the Wickie shoot so that the stereoscopic parameters,such as stereobasis and convergence, were recorded frameby frame.

Since the objects in the background of a frame are also threedimensional, unlike in 2D where they are flat surfaces, visualeffects and retouching efforts for these objects can be ratherelaborate as well. “Often it is easier to create a backgroundfrom scratch in full CG than to work with the shot elements,”says Trimborn. “Entire 3D elements are by now often thecheaper solution compared to matte paintings from photos,because you can be faster and more flexible.”

One of the highlights of ARRI’s VFX work is the castle of ’evilSven’, which was created true to scale as a full CG element,including textures and the surrounding landscape, under theauspices of 3D Supervisor Michael Koch. “A major scene!It took eight days to render one of the shots,” says Trimborn.

Altogether it took five months to complete the 60 VFX shotsthat ARRI Film & TV created for Wickie. “It’s an extraordinaryluxury that no other post house in Germany affords you, tohave the new DI and its 3D projection system right herein-house,” Trimborn points out. “It enabled us to view ourVFX shots in various stages of the process directly on the bigscreen. Often, the 3D monitors used during VFX work don’treveal all possible stereoscopic problems. For example, if aparticular layer is in the right place or not. In situations likethat the big screen is extremely helpful.”

Final approval of the ScanlineVFX shots also took place inARRI’s 3D suite, because the customer had become used toseeing the results on the large screen. This included a numberof shots that the two VFX houses, ScanlineVFX and ARRI, hadworked on together. A collaboration that, as Trimborn pointsout, was extremely collegial and harmonious.

In conclusion, the head of ARRI’s VFX department pointsout how pleased he is that everything went so smoothly:“Wickie and the Treasure of the Gods is a prestige projectand we can now say that we were the first to have workedon a stereoscopic film here in Germany. And most of all,we enjoyed working with director Christian Ditter, who hasan extremely keen eye and can articulate preciselywhat’s important.” �

Ingo Klingspon

� THE CASTLE OF 'EVIL SVEN’ was originated true to scaleas a full CG element

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The ALEXA Studio is the flagship of therange; like the ARRICAM Studio, it isequipped with a quiet, adjustable mirrorshutter and an optical viewfinder, givingoperators a real-time, high contrastimage with true colors. This enablesthem to judge focus more accurately andrespond more organically to the actionand performances in front of them. Formaximum flexibility, operators can switchto the ALEXA EVF-1 electronic viewfindershould they so choose.

With its 4:3 Super 35 sensor, the Studiois the ideal partner for anamorphiclenses, which create a unique look thathas been appreciated by directors andcinematographers for over half acentury. The Studio also comes equippedwith anamorphic de-squeeze and 120fps high speed licenses.

Keeping it in theALEXA family

At IBC 2011 ARRI launched the ALEXA Studio and showcased working prototypes of ALEXA M; the nexttwo members of the ALEXA family. The M is a compact camera head designed for tight shooting situationsand optimized for 3D rigs, while the Studio, with its optical viewfinder, combines cutting edge digitalimage-making with traditional elements of the film cameras that cinematographers know and trust.

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The ALEXA M is a flexible solutionconsisting of a separate camera headand body; it is tailored for action andaerial photography, tight corner shotsand 3D productions. Based on cuttingedge ARRI technologies, the M modelfeatures the same sensor, imageprocessing, build quality, efficientworkflows and exceptional imagequality that have made ALEXA sucha worldwide success.

The head and body of the M areconnected with a fiber optic cable,which in a hybrid form can also be usedfor powering the head. Weighing lessthan 3 kg, the compact front end offersmultiple mounting points and versatilemaneuverability. Meanwhile the bodyprovides various recording options, justlike the standard ALEXA: images, soundand metadata can be recorded onto SxSPRO cards or external recording devices,offering many different workflows.

ALEXA M has a PL mount, worksperfectly with all existing 35 mm lensesand is compatible with a wide range ofARRI accessories.

Initial prototypes of the ALEXA M arecurrently at work in the field with high-profile industry leaders. The resultingfeedback will inform the functionality ofARRI’s final ALEXA M production model,due to be released in early 2012.

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Prior to The Jury, Fleming had tested the ALEXA but hadn’tused it on a real-world project. “I’d shot with the D-21 quite alot and was interested to see the development from there, so Ichose the ALEXA for this shoot,” he says. “It was a greatexperience - the ALEXA felt far more like a contemporary filmcamera and ergonomically it was fantastic, particularly as wewere shooting in a lot of small locations and were able to usethe camera remotely. My A-camera operator Sean Savage wasjust thrilled with it.”

Fleming tested various EI ratings, but found that the basesensitivity of EI 800 was ideal for most situations. “I was ableto see if I was challenging the exposure and that was reallyhelpful, but the native 800 rating was absolutely solid,” hesays. “I think I tested up to around 1600; it was only at thatpoint that I started to see any noise at all, but even then thenoise level was negligible.”

Shooting in so many locations meant that there were manydifferent lighting situations with some extremes in shadowsand highlights, but Fleming found that the ALEXA handledthe differences effortlessly.

“The one thing I was concerned about was the shadow, but thedynamic range with ProRes 444 is absolutely amazing and Ithink it’s completely new territory,” he comments. “I certainlyhaven’t experienced it before in terms of the amount of detail,the cleanness of it.

And again, I was exposing consistently at EI 800 and justusing ND filters to bring the stop down when I wanted to haveminimal depth of field, which worked really well.”

During the shoot, ALEXA’s solid performance gave Fleming theconfidence simply to use an Astro waveform monitor to checkexposures. He notes, “I basically light to my eye and then letthe Astro guide the exposure. Michael [Offer, the director] wasworking off a handheld monitor and I was basing everythingon the waveform. I didn’t want anything more than that – I hadmy meter with me, obviously, but I was quite comfortablewith the Astro and the results were absolutely as I expectedevery time.”

Fleming also found himself turning lights off for the first timein his career. “The camera had such a fantastic mid range;previously you might have been using fill in some areas,but this camera provides so much detail and information,”he enthuses.

The premise of the series is the retrial of a man currentlyserving a prison sentence for the murder of three women,following the discovery of new evidence. The series follows thiscourtroom drama but also highlights the lives and stories of thebarristers for the defence and prosecution, and the jurymembers. With so many intertwining stories, how did Fleminggo about unifying – or separating – each strand?

Written by BAFTA Award-winner Peter Morgan,The Jury is a compelling, character-based serieswhich focuses on the everyday people who findthemselves at the centre of one of the mostcontroversial criminal retrials of their time.Produced by ITV Studios for ITV1, the five-part,prime-time drama was shot by cinematographerTim Fleming, ISC, using ARRI ALEXA camerassupplied by ARRI Media.

The JuryShooting

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“Michael and I talked a lot about this at the beginning of theprocess,” says the cinematographer. “There was a temptationto give every character a different look, but I felt that would bea little pretentious. Eventually we decided that as a whole itneeded a feeling of cinematic realism, with the stories as thefocal points rather than any kind of stylised look.”

In terms of setups, Fleming says he used “every trick in thebook” to shoot the drama. “With so many different types oflocation – from offices, to urban houses, to exteriors with

varying weather and light conditions – it was very much acase of mix and match. We used everything from studiosetups to cranes and handheld, and we used dolly and trackconstantly in the courtroom,” he explains. “Much of the timewe had two-camera setups, but there were times when theenergy of the piece required it to be handheld. Other times,obviously, it needed to be more composed. We were veryhappy to let stuff happen and fill the frame.”

One of the challenges on the project was to prevent the manycourtroom scenes from becoming boring or repetitive, saysFleming: “Michael’s instinct from early on was that if we couldkeep the cameras moving we would get ourselves through that,and I have to say that it really paid off well.”

Fleming worked with a set of Optimo zooms throughout,favouring the smaller lenses in the range for handheld work.He comments, “The choice of lenses was a pragmatic onerelative to the pressures of schedule; we were able to adjustthe frame quickly rather than spend time having to constantlychange the primes.”

Fleming admits to being a little ‘old school’ when it comes topostproduction: “I know there are tendencies within digitalacquisition to capture safe images and alter them in post, butI’m afraid with my background in the film world I still verymuch light what I want to see, and I’ve not encountered aproblem with that at all,” he says.

The combination of Fleming’s lighting sensibilities and theALEXA’s image capture meant a relatively easy grade for TheJury. “I had a very clear idea of where I wanted to go,” saysFleming. “Obviously there were some scenes shot over severaldays where we had to do some tweaking relative to the shiftin ambience, but that’s all we’ve been doing really. Havingsaid that, the grader that I work with, Jet Omoshebi, isfantastic; she has a beautiful sensibility and she will alwaysbring things beyond what I had expected.”

While some DPs like to take frame grabs from the camera anddo some pre-grading during a shoot, Fleming only really doesthis occasionally for himself or the director to ensure thateverything is on track. “I’m very much an exponent of thecolourist – since we’ve embraced this digital world they arevery much there to help you out,” he states. “Also, I don’treally feel the need to play too much with my image; I largelyfeel confident in terms of what I do and what I can get. I stillvery much feel that you must go with your instinct, which isone of the reasons why I test where the noise levels rise so thatI am aware of the boundaries.”

So what of Fleming’s first experience shooting with the ALEXA?“Overall I have to say that the ALEXA has been amazing,”concludes the cinematographer. “The ergonomics, the ability toshoot onto cards, the savings in time and equipment on setwere great, and the images really speak for themselves – evenin low light I found that I was able to do pretty much anythingI wanted. �

Wendy Mattock

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lucie_p was founded in 1999 andimmediately began to work with bigname brands, creating emotionallypowerful installations for Philip Morrisand ambitious music videos for anumber of international labels and artistsincluding BMG, Universal and theGerman band Sportfreunde Stiller.Its current clients include Audi, BMW,Vodafone, Burger King and Sky.“Today we cover all aspects of motiondesign, create media installations fortrade shows and exhibitions, and offer3D visualization, 3D mapping anddesign facade projections,” saysGeneral Manager and founderTina Maria Werner.

lucie_p and ARRI Commercial haveworked together many times over the lastfew years, with one highlight being theAudi Q3 launch in Barcelona. Within a

5000 m3 cube equipped with mirrors,a spyglass and a 45 m2 LED screen, theycreated an audiovisual experience thatmanipulated space and time barriers.Visitors enjoyed a dramatic 2D/3Dmotion design installation highlightingthe key themes of the Audi Q3campaign in a unique way.

Now the two companies have puttogether a motion design team dedicatedto advancing moving image installations.“This joint venture creates entirely newsynergies for our customers. Togetherwe are the perfect service providerfor elaborate moving image projects,”says Philipp Bartel, Head ofCommercial at ARRI.

Customers will be able to takeadvantage of the team’s conceptualideas and creative advice as well as thetechnical expertise of the ARRI group –

from its world-leading cameras to itsAcademy Award®-winning researchdivision that is currently playing a keyrole in pioneering 3D stereoscopy, aswell as a 160 m2 photo and film studiofor live action recording and visual effectshoots. All this is at the client’s disposalto create unique moving imageinstallations. In addition there is room tobuild test constructions to the scale of theactual installation, and motion designprograms can be viewed at the intendedsize in the ARRI theater.

“Our team and our hardware resourcesare flexible and can be adjusted to meetindividual needs,” explains Tina MariaWerner. “This allows us to realize ourclients’ projects efficiently and at thehighest quality.” For more informationabout lucie_p, visit www.lucie-p.com

THE ARRI COMMERCIAL TEAM HAS JOINED FORCES WITH CREATIVEAGENCY LUCIE_P TO FORM A JOINTLY-RUN DESIGN STUDIO THATWILL TAKE THE MOVING IMAGE TO A NEW DIMENSION.

� AUDI Q3 LAUNCH, The Cube

A compelling force formoving image installations

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“THIS JOINT VENTURE CREATESENTIRELY NEW SYNERGIES FOROUR CUSTOMERS. TOGETHER WEARE THE PERFECT SERVICEPROVIDER FOR ELABORATEMOVING IMAGE PROJECTS.”

� BMW WORLD, Munich � BMW 5 SERIES, Auto Salon, Geneva

VisionARRI: How did thispartnership between lucie_p andARRI Commercial come about?

Tina Maria Werner: Over the years astrong bond has developed. We believethat ARRI Commercial and lucie_pcomplement each other perfectly –both in terms of competencies and withregards to our teams. Having workedtogether many times, the next logicalstep was to form a permanentcollaboration that ensured the qualityof our work and offered customers animproved cost-benefit ratio.

VA: ARRI Commercial and lucie_phave previously joined forces tocreate moving images in space:what has been the mostchallenging project so far?

Philipp Bartel: From a creative point ofview, the Audi Q3 presentation inBarcelona comes immediately to mind.But also the motion design for the BMW

World and the resulting projections inthe ‘Auto Salon’ in Geneva were veryambitious; connecting the multipleprojection surfaces technically andaesthetically was incredibly excitingand we were as delighted as thecustomer about the grandiose resultswe achieved.

VA: Together you create high-endmoving image installations:What will the future bring inthat regard?

TMW: Blending digital media andarchitecture and the increasinglyaffordable LED screens will soon makeentirely new visual experiencespossible. The moving image will literallyadvance further into the physical spaceand we are delighted that we get toexperience this development first hand,and be part of shaping it as well.

VA: Are there any challengesthat you are particularly lookingforward to?

PB: Each and every new challenge!The more creativity a job calls for, themore interesting the projects turn out.It’s particularly exciting to respond tocurrent trends and to let those informour concepts. Topics such as augmentedreality, interactive TV and mobilemedia are particularly interesting atthe moment.

Tina MariaWerner & Philipp Bartelon the new design studio

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The new M40/25, another fixture in ARRI’saward-winning, lens-less M-Series

LOOK: NO LENSES

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At IBC this year, ARRI unveiled a new fixture from itsaward-winning M-Series, narrowing the gap betweenthe 1800 W M18 and the 18 kW ARRIMAX.Sporting ARRI’s unique, patented MAX Technology,the M40/25 is a lens-less system that combines theadvantages of a Fresnel and a PAR fixture. The unit isopen face and thus very bright, but focusable from18-52°, producing a crisp, clear shadow. Byeliminating the need for spread lenses, the M40/25speeds up workflows on set and reduces the risk oflost production time because of glass breakage.

The same lamphead equipped with a PAR reflectorbecomes the AS40/25, replacing the currentARRISUN 40/25. It is lighter than its predecessor,but has the same accessory diameter so that existinglenses, barndoors and scrims can be reused. TheM40/25 and AS40/25 can be operated with 4 kWand 2.5 kW metal halide lamps.

Both fixtures implement the True Blue featuresARRI customers have come to value in recent years.Two strong disc brakes keep the lamphead firmly inplace even if heavy accessories are used, while theelectronics housing is spaced apart from the actuallamp housing to keep temperatures down andprolong the lifetime of components. The units areruggedized and IP23 certified to withstand roughlocation handling and weather.

ARRI offers a CCL ballast for use with the M40/25and AS40/25. CCL means compensation for cableloss, which can be considerable with long head-to-ballast cables: at 100 m cable length only around3500 W might arrive at the lamp, instead of 4000W. The new ballast fully compensates for such powerlosses, ensuring a uniformly high light outputregardless of cable length. �

MAX TECHNOLOGYWith the Academy Award®-winning, lens-less 18/12K ARRIMAX,ARRI unveiled a new type of reflector; the patented MAX Reflectoris a multi-faceted mirror that eliminates the need for spreaderlenses and combines the advantages of a PAR and a Fresnel.

It was used again for the M18, which introduced a new powerclass and redefined on-set workflows. The industry quickly realizedthat MAX Reflector fixtures make lighting easier and demandincreased for the same technology to be applied to traditionalpower classes, leading to the release of the M40/25.

MAX Technology is a banner under which to position all ARRIlights with a MAX Reflector. As well as the M-Series, the latestARRILITE Plus lampheads feature MAX Technology, with morefixtures to come soon.

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VisionARRI: Was World Without Endalways going to be a digitalproduction?

Denis Crossan: Yes. As it was essentiallyeight hours of television, it was alwaysbudgeted to be shot digital. Film wasnever an option. I don’t know of anytelevision that’s shot on 35 mmthese days.

VA: Why did you choose theARRI ALEXA?

DC: I had worked with the ALEXA anumber of times on commercials andhad used it early on when it still had afew teething problems, but I wasimpressed with its image quality, and asa DP, you want to get the best youpossibly can. It had the same feel andpurpose as a film camera, so I feltcomfortable using it. The otherconsideration was that we shot twocameras all the time, sometimes three,but I knew we would have five camerasor more on the action and effects days,as well as second unit cameras, so I hadto be sure all that equipment would becovered. That’s where ARRI came in.

VA: What kind of visual approachdid you and Michael discuss?

DC: We intended the production to havea film look, with scale and depth. IfMichael could have shot it 2.40:1 hewould have been really happy. When Ifirst met him about World Without End

he had an idea of applying a VictorianPre-Raphaelite romanticism to the MiddleAges and combining that with a classicstyle of shooting similar to The SweetSmell of Success (1957), directed byAlexander Mackendrick, or Kubrick’sPaths of Glory (1957), where the shotconstantly develops as the cameramoves, or the actors trade positions ormove you to a new frame.

In terms of lighting I wanted to apply acertain naturalism and try to stay true tothe light sources. If I lit through windowsI wanted the light to fall off dramaticallyin the backgrounds. Generally, I woulduse little or no fill light. For nightexteriors I kept them predominatelywarm, using all tungsten light andbalancing the color temperature tomatch firelight or torches.

I also used Cooke S4 lenses, which I’veused for many years. The image qualityand resolution are superb, and workedwell with the ALEXA.

VA: What are your thoughtson ALEXA’s sensitivity anddynamic range?

DC: I was certainly impressed with itsperformance in low light. Being set inMedieval England, all the interiors onWorld Without End were lit withcandles. I found I could light the actorsjust enough to create contrast and depth,and let the backgrounds go, using

candles to pick out specific areas;I didn’t want to go completely dark.I also did quite a number of aperturepulls on this production, which issomething I never did on film. Many ofour sets on location had low roofs andsmall windows, so it gets to a pointwhere it is impossible to balance theexterior with the interior lighting; doinga stop pull as someone comes from awindow or door into the room savedtime. The great thing is you can seeimmediately if it works or not.

VA: Were aperture pullsutilized creatively, as wellas pragmatically?

DC: Absolutely. In one particular sceneGodwyn (Rupert Evans) proposes that hismother Petranilla (Cynthia Nixon) shouldkill her brother to further Godwyn’sambitions. We shot in a doorwaylooking out onto a busy exterior squarein full sunlight, and Michael, the director,wanted to keep the character semi-silhouette. I blocked most of the lightfrom him, but let the backgroundoverexpose so it looked fiery and harsh.When he finishes his dialogue he stepsback into the daylight and I did anaperture pull, stopping down, whichshows his face and makes thebackground the correct exposure andnormal. Hopefully it enhances theemotion in the scene, without anyonerealizing the mechanics of it.

WORLDWITHOUT

DENIS CROSSAN, BSC, SHOOTSMEDIEVAL EPIC WITH ALEXA

Based on novelist Ken Follett’s global bestseller, World WithoutEnd is the follow-up to Golden Globe-nominated televisionminiseries The Pillars of the Earth. Produced by TandemCommunications, Take 5 Productions and Galafilm, in associationwith Scott Free Films, the eight-part sequel is set 200 yearsafter The Pillars of the Earth in the same fictional town ofKingsbridge. ARRI Rental Budapest supplied ARRI ALEXAcameras for the five-month shoot, which took place onlocation in Hungary, Slovakia and Austria. Directed by MichaelCaton-Jones, World Without End was shot by cinematographerDenis Crossan, BSC, who recently spoke with VisionARRI abouthis work on the project.

END

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VA: What were your recordingand workflow solutions?

DC: We shot ProRes 4444 to theon-board SxS PRO cards. I’m not reallykeen on the word workflow; it soundslike processing paperwork in anaccountant’s office. Everyone inpreproduction is very keen on discussingworkflow and LUTs, and likes to throw inother similarly inane acronyms. I justknew I wanted to keep it as simple aspossible. I did three basic color gradesat Colorfront in Budapest: one forcandlelight and another for torches,which covered day and night interiorsand night exteriors. The third was adaylight grade for interiors andexteriors. With that in place I wouldchange the lighting within scenes oroccasionally change color temperatureon the camera, as I always had areference of where I wanted it to be.Colorfront would send daily reports and

dailies were posted on the internet. I alsogot daily color-corrected frame grabs,which I found really useful as a reference.

VA: Have there been anyparticularly challenging setupsor sequences?

DC: All of them! OK, not exactly true, butMichael is very particular about framingand because of our style of shooting,actors and camera had to be veryprecise about hitting marks. It wasdifficult in the first weeks but I wasamazed at how quickly everyone got togrips with it. For me, the challenge hasbeen trying to keep focused and pushmyself. I’ve never been involved on aproduction for this length of time, withover five months of shooting to get eighthours of material. There’s a lot to geteveryday, but to do it in a way thatdoesn’t sacrifice quality – that’sthe challenge.

VA: What motivated the decisionto shoot in Budapest, and howhas it been for you?

DC: From the production point of view itcomes down to cost; from my point ofview it doesn’t make much difference,apart from being away from home.As long as equipment and crew areavailable you can make a filmanywhere. Hungary has great studiospace, locations, enough film andcamera equipment to service severalproductions, and the crews are good.I’ve also been really pleased with theservice from ARRI Rental. They havemanaged to put a large packagetogether, which gets amended frequentlydepending on our filming schedule, butthey’ve always been on top of it. �

�DENIS CROSSAN, BSC, (right) lines up a shot

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Cinematographer Hagen Bogdanski on shooting Madonna’s second feature film

W.E.“There was never any question that I would use any otherbrand of camera on this film,” states Bogdanski. “I’ve usedARRI cameras on nearly all my films and frankly I think they’rethe best in the world. They are intuitive to work with and Iknow how they are going to react in different conditions.They always perform flawlessly and produce great images.”

The film intertwines the legendary affair betweenWallis Simpson and King Edward VIII (and its dramaticconsequences), with a contemporary romance set in New Yorkbetween a married woman, who is obsessed with WallisSimpson, and a Russian security guard.

This was Madonna’s second film as a director and Bogdanskiwas impressed by her attention to detail. “Madonna wasinvolved in every element of the film and it was very importantto her that the visuals conveyed the emotions of the story,” hesays. “We discussed every aspect of the filming throughout theshoot – the camera movement, the lighting, every setup. Shewas precise in what she wanted, but also very collaborativeand open to suggestions.”

On a whistle-stop tour across the UK, France and the USA to shoot Madonna’s hotly anticipated film,W.E., cinematographer Hagen Bogdanski relied on a talented lighting and camera team, as well asequipment provided by ARRI’s UK-based rental companies. ARRI Lighting Rental supplied the lightingkit, while the ARRI camera package came from ARRI Media.

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While preparing to shoot W.E.,Madonna and Bogdanski looked toperiod films such as La Vie en Rose andthe intriguing 1961 film Last Year inMarienbad as inspiration and referencepoints. The cinematographer explains:“These films were really the blueprintsfor W.E.; they both feature very long,elegant takes with no edits and this wasan element that Madonna really wantedto include. We also thought aboutshooting all of our period sequences inblack-and-white, although in the endwe only shot some specific scenesthis way and used other methods todifferentiate the period scenes fromthe contemporary story.”

Bogdanski worked closely with his gaffer– “the legendary Chuck Finch,” as hecalls him – to create a soft, warm lightfor the period sequences and a muchharsher, colder lighting range formodern-day New York.

“For the period scenes we used lots oflight boxes and wedges to keep the lightsoft, bouncing off muslins and cloths toachieve a heavy diffusion,” notes Finch.“We also let some areas fall off intoblack for that period effect. By contrastthe New York scenes were much moreraw and hard, and we lit directlythrough frames or tracing paper to keepit more immediate.” Exteriors for both theperiod and modern sections were largelyshot with natural light, though Finchused scrims to reduce the intensity ofthe top light.

The look was everything on thisproduction. As one might expect with aMadonna-driven project, great attentionwas paid to the details of productiondesign, costumes, make-up and locationsettings, all of which helped to convey thedifferent time periods. Bogdanski chose touse ARRI/ZEISS Ultra Prime lenses for bothstrands of the story, using the full range offocal lengths from 16 mm to 200 mm.“The Ultras are very precise and sharp,but they are neutral - not warm or cool –so you can portray what you need toon-screen with different lighting,” he says.“They also have a beautiful fall-off, whichcan be very effective.”

Perhaps surprisingly, there was littlediscussion about whether to shootdigitally or on film. “We talked brieflyabout it right at the beginning, but thedigital format was dismissed very

quickly,” says Bogdanski. “This was tobe mainly a period piece and it was allabout the visuals – skin tones, fabrictextures, gleaming jewellery, brightMediterranean sunlight and contrastinginteriors. I still think film is the bestformat to bring these things to thescreen.” To give a further visualreference to the period, Bogdanski usedan ARRIFLEX 16SR 3 Advanced 16 mmcamera for certain scenes.

The main camera package included anARRICAM Studio and an ARRICAM Lite,but rather than shoot with two camerasBogdanski preferred to shoot in the mainwith a single-camera setup. “It was avery traditional approach for static shots,just one camera was running for much ofthe time,” he says. “But Madonna wasvery keen to have lots of movement inthe camera so we did several longtracking shots and a lot of Steadicamshots, for which we used the ARRICAMLite; it’s small and light, so perfect forSteadicam work. The Steadicamoperator Robert Patzelt did a great job.”

As inspired by one of the reference films,Last Year in Marienbad, the key scene ofKing Edward VIII’s abdication speechwas given added poignancy through thedevice of a long, uninterrupted take –something that Bogdanski is very proudof in the finished film. “Madonna wantedto achieve a long dolly shot weavingthrough several rooms in the castle andending in a close-up of the King as hegives his speech,” he says. “It meantmeticulous rigging and a lot of testingfor our lighting setups, but it workedfantastically well – it’s a beautiful shot.”

Finch agrees that it was a challengingshot to light: “It was quite difficultbecause all the rooms we used weresouth-facing and very bright, so to takecontrol of the light we tented thewindows from the outside along thelength of the castle,” he says. “We putlights on rostrums outside and shone bigHMI sources through the windows,diffusing them with grid cloths to achievea really soft spread.”

However, Bogdanski and Finch agreethat the most challenging aspect of theproject was the number of locations usedand the tight schedule. “With theexception of the week-long New Yorkapartment shoot, I don’t think we shotanywhere for more than a day, so

getting the setups right quickly andachieving the right atmosphere in a shortamount of time was sometimes hard,”says the cinematographer. “However,that also led to one of the best thingsabout the shoot – the camera andlighting teams really worked hard andtogether we achieved great results. Inparticular, I couldn’t have done itwithout [1st ACs] Oli Loncraine andGlenn Kaplan, and also [key grip]Stuart Godfrey. It truly was a team effort.”

Bogdanski makes special mention of thestaff at ARRI Media and ARRI LightingRental: “On a film like this where you’retravelling from location to location, thesupport of your rental house isimperative, and the crew at ARRI wereso helpful to us every step of the way.” �

W.E. producersNigel Wooll executive producerScott Franklin executive producerDonna Gigliotti executive producerKris Thykier producerColin Vaines producerSara Zambreno co-producer

Wendy Mattock

VISIONARRI

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The technical parameters of filmmaking have changed radically in the last couple of years. More and moreproductions record on digital formats, while new camera, recording and postproduction systems hit themarket all the time. While this opens up a great number of opportunities it is also disconcerting, notonly for the decision makers at production companies but also for directors and cameramen on set.Constantly changing and increasingly intricate equipment, as well as a lack of practical experience canresult in a potentially precarious information deficit in an already high-risk film business. ARRI’s rentaland postproduction teams are responding to this situation with a new concept: on-set support. The mainadvantage for ARRI customers is that they can count on the unique know-how of the leading equipmentmanufacturer in the film business. The company has even created a new division, Digital Services, thatconcentrates this specific expertise for the benefit of customers. The goal is to eliminate technical problemsearly on in the planning stages of film projects, while offering maximum creative freedom.

DIGITALSERVICES

In the film business, production and postproduction teams havealways worked closely together. New to the process is thatdigitalization is no longer just a part of postproduction,particularly with regards to the DI and special effects. Inparticular, the latest generation of digital camera systems hasfound its way onto the set, and not just here and there, butacross the board. These new data-based recording systemshave altered familiar workflows, created new responsibilitiesand changed communication on set.

“There’s an increased number of interfacing issues, to anextent previously unknown. Production companies simplyweren’t aware of them. For decades negative film was therecording format of film and television productions and asa result the workflow, including recording, lab and

postproduction, had become standardized,” explains MichaelHackl, Production Supervisor TV Post at ARRI Film & TV inMunich. “There are a great number of experts who knowexactly how to treat and handle film. Even the highly complexDI process has become standard practice today.”

“But what has been standard practice in film production nolonger is, now that the newest digital camera systems havearrived,” says Steffen Scheid, Sales Manager at ARRI Film &TV Berlin. “Digitalization hasn’t made the work on set morecomplicated but the available options have become morecomplex. Suddenly, it is possible to work on recorded data-based footage right there on set and in a number of differentways. Digital technology merges production andpostproduction on the set. Now the choice of a particularcamera system determines the course of postproduction.”

As a result, camera tests during the planning stages havebecome all the more important. “When we used to work withanalog equipment, tests were conducted to check and verifythat the camera and the related gear had no technical defectsand were ready for use,” continues Scheid. “Now camera testsare conducted to determine the ideal technology for aparticular project. This is done in close collaboration with thecolorists, the experts from postproduction, who together withthe director and the cameraman define the creative objectiveof a film. This objective is determined during the camera testand measures are taken to ensure that it is then consistentlyand exactly met through the entire postproduction process, allthe way to the final release print.”

� MICHAEL HACKL � STEFFEN SCHEID

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The look of a film, as defined in preproduction, now runsthrough the entire production phase. A look can be created onset and then passed on from the dailies phase to the cuttingroom stage and maintained throughout postproduction. “Thisexpedites the process, which is an enormous advantage,particularly for TV productions,” Hackl points out.

The goal is to create a consistent look throughout the variousstages, including testing, recording, editing and the finalgrading phase. The director and the DoP have more creativecontrol now. “Each project has its unique challenges andrequires different approaches. Every cameraman has a specialway of working. It is our task to create a tailor-made,individual workflow utilizing the extensive range of servicesARRI offers,” continues Hackl. “We want to ensure that ourcustomers can benefit from the advantages that digitalrecording technology offers by providing them with reliableproduction workflows that minimize the risks.”

During the development stage of the project there is a greaterneed for guidance during the format and system decisionmaking processes because on digital productions the entireworkflow has to be planned and steered carefully through allstages, including recording, postproduction, distribution andeven archiving. There can’t be a glitch anywhere betweenproduction and postproduction. Discrepancies in the workflowsand inadequate communication can create delays anddiminish the quality. This can subsequently be corrected, but ata cost for the production company that is difficult to estimate.

“It isn’t easy for line producers and production managers tokeep up with digital workflows, because we are dealing withprocesses that constantly change, almost daily,” says Scheid.“Even if people have had prior experience working on digitalproductions, too much time may have elapsed betweenprojects so that the experience is technically no longerrelevant. This makes outside support and guidance from acompetent service provider indispensible.”

“This situation has made many customers nervous,” Scheidnotes. “The strength of the ARRI Group is to assist the customer,leading them as a competent partner with a unique expertisein film and recording technology through the entire digitalproduction process. This includes the entire chain of steps

involved, from recording to postproduction, distribution andarchiving, thereby preventing interfacing issues and quality lossfrom one stage to the next.”

This new approach has created additional positions on theset of digital production. There is now a data wrangler, whoensures that the digitally recorded material has been recordedand copied properly and contains the necessary metadatarequired during postproduction. But there are also the digitalimaging technicans (DITs) and colorists, who have become thelink between production and postproduction. ARRI, relying onits staff as well as on freelancers, offers these services on set orin-house, depending on the client’s preference. ARRI constantlytrains, re-trains and certifies its staff and freelancers. “Thiscertification has to be regularly renewed when new cameraor recording systems become available,” explains Scheid.

“The really exciting part about the new digital recordingtechnology is the flexibility that it affords the creative headsinvolved,” says Hackl in conclusion. “They have a plethora ofpossibilities, all they have to do is utilize them properly. Forproduction companies it is therefore extremely important tohave someone at their side who’s paving the way for them.Here the service team of the ARRI Group can be a competentand reliable partner for production companies.” �

Ingo Klingspon

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VisionARRI: In May you returned to ARRI Film & TVServices, Munich, after spending two years at theConstantin Film Group. What has changed in theinterim and has that shifted the focus of ARRI’spostproduction?

Josef Reidinger: It was during these two years that a majortechnological shift occurred in the film business – away from35 mm and towards digital recording formats. Myresponsibilities then and now confirm that this developmentoccurred at an incredible speed. What was state-of-the-artyesterday is outdated today. An avalanche was set off, puttingthe entire business under an enormous amount of pressure,technologically, creatively and monetarily.

VA: Could you briefly outline the resulting workflowchanges and the effect on ARRI services?

JR: Until recently, the majority of productions shot on film werethen sent to the lab, where they were developed andtransferred to a chosen video format. This included a colorcorrection to the specifications of the color grader and the DoP.The result was the actual product, the ‘content’. Using digitalrecording technologies means content is created right there onthe set. The material is ready instantly and can be viewed onlocation. All that has to be generated now are dailies, becausethe raw data direct from the camera is quite soft and withouta specific look. That’s where look-up tables (LUTs) come intoplay, to convert the data and create the desired image. TheDoP determines the look of his images right there on the setand doesn’t have to wait a couple of days for dailies.The LUTs enable the DoP to create his own look and thesespecifications will be relied upon throughout the entirepostproduction process.

More and more DoPs set these parameters, which providethe basis for color correction and are the foundation of theremainder of postproduction, right there on the set. It is thisunique undertaking, generating this new type of digital dailies,these ‘on-set digital dailies’, that ARRI’s postproduction serviceswill be more closely involved in from here on – as well ason-set quality control and data backup.

VA: For over 90 years, ARRI has stood fortechnological advancement in film. How can ARRIpreserve this amassed know-how under thesechanged production conditions and continue tooffer the entire range of technologies competentlyin the future?

JR: That, of course, is and will remain our goal. And it is oneof the reasons why we are expanding our archiving andrestoration efforts. It helps that ARRI already has anoutstanding reputation in this area, having restored, amongother films, Berlin Alexanderplatz (2007) for the Rainer WernerFassbinder Foundation. Experts called the result exemplary andthe work received international recognition. The restoration offour famous films directed by Ernst Marischka – Victoria inDover (1954) and the Sissi trilogy (1955, 1956 and 1957) –also garnered ARRI a great deal of attention. This in turn hadan effect on the market. It set an example for archive and filminstitutions aspiring to achieve similar results when restoringtheir valuable collections.

We are delighted that we now receive restoration inquiriesfrom outside Germany as well, and are pleased that ourprevious accomplishments attracted the attention of the restof the film world.

There’s a surplus of recording formats, production companiesand service providers working outside the realm of traditionalfilmmaking. The market must and will rectify that over time.

ARRI’s postproduction services all set for current andfuture challenges: a conversation with Josef Reidinger,Managing Director of ARRI Film & TV

On-setpresence

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But at the moment, this surplus poses a challenge even for acompany with such undisputed expertise as ARRI’s. It’s achallenge that we have to take on, here and now, if for noother reason than to ensure that this expertise finds its properplace in the changing landscape.

As a service provider we have to adjust to the market everytime a new technology gains acceptance and we have to bringthe staff up to speed. Take our lab for example: it’s quite smallcompared to others because we adapted early on to thechanging market and found a solution – deploying staff asneeded to different areas – that gives us flexibility. Analogdistribution, in the form of 35 mm release prints, will remain onthe decline but we are well prepared for digital distribution.Our digital cinema mastering meets international standardsand we are able to generate digital copies. We have alsogained the trust of theatrical distributors.

Although digital acquisition, postproduction and distributionwill continue to rise, long-term archiving still requires a 35 mmnegative because currently there simply isn’t a suitable digitalformat available – while the 35 mm negative has proven that itholds up for decades.

In short, the current task of any company in this businessmust be to adjust to the rapid speed of these technologicaldevelopments and to reposition itself accordingly, all thewhile ensuring the quality and security of the product forthe customer.

VA: In what direction will ARRI Film & TVbe heading?

JR: The main focus over the next few years will be on-set/near-set and on-location editing. We can’t sit in the lab like weused to, waiting for the material to show up. Today the widerange of recording and postproduction possibilities requiresthat we assist clients sooner, even prior to and during filming,that we make our know-how available during preproduction.We won’t concentrate on specific areas either; on the contrary,we want to be a competent partner for large and small featurefilms, TV productions, documentaries and commercials, and foranalog as well as digital production and postproduction.�

“THE MAIN FOCUSOVER THE NEXTFEW YEARS WILL BEON-SET/NEAR-SETAND ON-LOCATIONEDITING.”

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If a customer decides to shoot on a digital format he shouldstill be able to rely on the same trusted people as on analogshoots. This means our color graders will no longer workexclusively in-house. They will have to be flexible and maketheir expertise available on set and on location. This givesproductions the needed security on the set.

Another key issue in the months to come will be even closercoordination of our rental and postproduction efforts to ensurethat the workflows ARRI created best serve the interests ofclients seamlessly. An invaluable advantage is our closecontact to research and development, which means that weare always up to speed with the latest developments. Forexample, concerning ALEXA cameras, we are closely involvedearly on in creating the best possible workflows. We can passthis invaluable knowledge on immediately to our customers.

VA: How will ARRI customers be introduced to thesenew services?

JR: That’s the main challenge facing the sales team. They willbe brought up to speed on these latest technologicaladvancements through in-house training provided by ourdevelopers so that they can competently offer these newtechnological capabilities to our customers. Also key are ourdigital image technicians (DITs), who we train continuously andcertify here at ARRI. The certificate that we issue to a DIT is thecustomer’s guarantee that the color grading and data backupof their film won’t go off the rails.

VA: Will there be additional changes in otherpostproduction areas?

JR: There’s great potential for change in the VFX realm. Wehave exceptional VFX staff with incredible know-how andextensive international experience. We have VFX teams notonly in Munich, but also in Berlin and Cologne, and wecollaborate with renowned companies in Hesse. We arecreating a network consisting of a permanent crew here in-house and a pool of external visual effects people who cancome on board as needed and provide the same quality ofwork as our in-house staff. This allows us to work on projectsthat exceed the VFX work usually required for German film.

The clear winners of this current wave of developments are nodoubt the creative minds, the filmmakers. They have anincredible set of tools at their disposal: the entire range oftraditional analog film technology on the one hand and thenewest 3D digital technology on the other. Ultimately, ourprimary concern here at ARRI is to ensure the quality andsafety of the images our clients entrust us with, regardless ofthe format. And that will continue to remain our goal. �

Ingo Klingspon

“ULTIMATELY, OURPRIMARY CONCERNHERE AT ARRI IS TOENSURE THE QUALITYAND SAFETY OF THEIMAGES OUR CLIENTSENTRUST US WITH,REGARDLESS OFTHE FORMAT.”

ON-SET PRESENCE

�ON-SET: the technological shift towards digital recording formats has resulted in ARRI Film & TV focusing on supporting clients sooner, even prior to and during filming

�ARRI VFX TEAMS are located in Munich, Berlin and Cologne

Page 39: VisionARRI Magazine Issue 12

VISIONARRI

39

ARRI’s continuous dialogue withcinematographers, operators and directorshas revealed demand for a new MasterPrime with a focal length of 135 mm.This is the ideal portrait lens for manysituations, fitting nicely between theMaster Prime 100 and 150; it brings theMaster Prime set up to an astounding 16focal lengths.

Discussions with both cinematographersand photographers identified four crucialcriteria for a perfect portrait lens: the rightfocal length, high image quality, shallowdepth of field and the ability to get closeto the subject.

A focal length of 135 mm is long enoughto separate a subject from the foregroundand background, but not at the expenseof a pleasing, three-dimensionalperspective. Like the rest of the MasterPrime range, the 135 mm produces ahigh resolution, high contrast image withvery low flares and veiling glare: a cleanstarting point from which thecinematographer can shape and sculptthe image through lighting, filters ordigital manipulations during the DI grade.It also shares the same lens markings and114 mm front diameter as other Master

Primes, allowing the use of the samematte box and making lens switchingfast and easy.

The widest aperture of T1.3 and theMaster Primes’ unique ability to maintaintheir high image quality even wide openallow for an extremely shallow depth offield when desired. Depth of field is acreative tool that can be used to controlthe level of separation between thesubject and its surroundings. Last but notleast, to facilitate close-ups, the MasterPrime 135 has been designed with aclose focus distance of 0.95 m (37”),retaining its high image quality evenat this close range. �

THE PERFECTPORTRAIT LENSIntroducing the new ARRI Master Prime 135

— 12 mm

— 14 mm

— 16 mm

— 18 mm

— 21 mm

— 25 mm

— 27 mm

— 32 mm

— 35 mm

— 40 mm

— 50 mm

— 65 mm

— 75 mm

— 100 mm

— 135 mm

— 150 mm

MP 135 shot taken by Tom Faehrmann, BVK

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Just as the ALEXA camera system hasdeveloped and progressed over the lasttwo years, work has also continued onthe lenses designed to function as itsperfect partner. A crucial part of thiswork involves consulting with creativeprofessionals and ascertaining whattools are most needed by today’sfilmmakers. A clear message from themarket has been that, with camerasgetting smaller and shooting stylesbecoming more action-oriented,lightweight zooms are in great demand.

The new lightweight Alura Zooms areperfect for handheld and Steadicamwork, while the original Aluras, withtheir much wider focal ranges, are theideal choice for tripod and dolly setups.

Together, the four color-matched lensescomprise a complete and affordablesolution for 35 mm format film anddigital productions of any kind.

All of the Aluras exhibit high contrastand high resolution, producing sharp,punchy images with clear highlights andtrue, deep blacks. The special opticaldesign ensures an evenly illuminatedimage on the sensor or film plane, whileflares, ghosting and veiling glare aregreatly reduced by FUJINON’s multi-layer EBC (Electron Beam Coating) lenscoating. Breathing (an unwanted changein image size when focusing) has beenminimized, as has color fringing,through the use of extraordinarydispersion glass.

Lightweight zooms are also becomingpopular for 3D applications. Having azoom instead of a prime lens on a 3Drig allows easy adjustment of focallength without time-consuming lenschanges, rig readjustments andcalibration. Since 3D rigs are inherentlycumbersome affairs, regular studiozooms tend to be too large and heavy,whereas the lightweight Alura Zooms areideal. In addition, their compatibility withthe ARRI Lens Data System allows vitallens information and image metadata tobe recorded. �

A Glass QuartetNew ARRI/FUJINON zooms make an Alura foursome

Alura 18-80 Alura 42-250 Alura 15.5-45 Alura 30-80

Lens type studio zoom studio zoom lightweight zoom lightweight zoom

Focal range 18-80 mm 45-250 mm 15.5-45 mm 30-80 mm

Maximum aperture T2.6 T2.6 T2.8 T2.8

Weight 4.7 kg / 10.4 lbs 7.5 kg / 16.5 lbs 2.2 kg / 4.9 lbs 2.2 kg / 4.9 lbs

Close focus 0.7 m / 2’4” 1.2 m / 3’11” 0.6 m / 2’ 0.6 m / 2’

Front diameter 134 mm 134 mm 114 mm 114 mmLens Data System – – � �

Following the tremendoussuccess of the first twoARRI/FUJINON Alura Zooms,which were released alongsidethe initial ARRI ALEXA model,ARRI has annouced two newlightweight additions to therange: the ARRI/FUJINONAlura Zoom 15.5-45 / T2.8and Alura Zoom 30-80 / T2.8.

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ARRI Rental implements exacting producttesting procedures

News from around the world

To achieve this, ARRI Rental commissioned theSchleich Company to design and produce state-of-the-art test stations. In future, these will alsoinclude mobile systems for carrying out tests onset over long hire periods. Since each individualproduct has its own testing demands, so farnearly 700 test procedures have beenprogrammed. Only when testing has beensuccessfully completed without any errors is theitem of equipment then issued with a test seal,which acts as a reminder of when the next test isdue. Every completed test procedure also includesa log, which is stored in a special database.

With this sophisticated testing methodology ARRIRental is setting new benchmarks for quality andreliability, ensuring trouble-free deployment ofequipment to productions.

“Our product testing procedures demonstrateour efforts to ensure the quality, delivery anddependability of our products and service,” saysThomas Loher, Managing Director of ARRI Rental.“They are a continuation of our commitment tomaintain our position as a premier rental facilityand a clear sign that we are committed tosuperior product quality and customer satisfaction.”

As part of ARRI Rental’s ongoing commitment to providing equipment that meets thereliability requirements and expectations demanded by productions, new producttesting procedures have been implemented. This means all equipment is now testedto the guidelines issued by the BG ETEM (Trade Association for Energy, Textiles,Electrical Engineering, Media Products) and to BGV A3 DIN (German IndustrialStandard) specifications VDE 0701 and 0702.

123 4

5 6 78 9 10 1112

12 13 14 15 16

17

NächsterPrüftermin Nächster

Prüftermin201220132014

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 101112

201220132014

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NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Investing in the futureSponsoring awards for young, innovative filmmakers

For ARRI, supporting the next generation of filmmakers is a crucial investment in thefuture, because today’s film students and first-time filmmakers will be the directors,producers and cameramen – the decision-makers and potential customers – of tomorrow.

News from around the world

at ARRI’s headquarters. ARRI Film & TV’s contributionconsists of a producing award, which comes witha voucher worth 6,000 Euros for ARRI’s lab andpostproduction services. The films are judged basedon the courage, creativity and quality of the work,which must also exceed expectations given the film’sbudget. In 2011 the recipients were ClaudiaLehmann and Daria Onyshchenko (C & D Films)for their dramatic love story Dogs of Ukrainka.

But ARRI’s sponsoring efforts aren’t limited to emergingtalent or to German film productions. On the contrary,the global player is looking beyond the local market,recognizing foreign filmmakers with the ARRI Award.Presented by an independent jury at the Munich FilmFestival, it comes with a 30,000 Euro prize. This yearthe ARRI Award went to renowned Finnish directorAki Kaurismäki for his most recent film Le Havre.The idea for this award came from Andreas Ströhl(festival director of the Munich Film Festival, 2003 to2011) and ARRI Chairman Franz Kraus. “Theintention was to attract further international featurefilms in order to bring more foreign directors andproducers to Munich for the festival,” recallsReedwisch. “We are continuing this dialogue with thenew festival director, Diana Iljine, and are thinkingabout additional projects for the coming years.”

“Sponsoring film festivals and competitions andsupporting film school projects are the pillars of ARRI’scontinued efforts to foster up-and-coming filmmakers,”explains Angela Reedwisch, Key Account Manager atARRI Film & TV Services in Munich. The capital ofBavaria, home of ARRI’s headquarters, is the host ofnumerous cultural events throughout the year, some ofwhich ARRI proudly sponsors.

One of these events is the International Film SchoolFestival, which has been one of the most importantfilm festivals for young filmmakers from all over theworld for 30 years. “The festival is the perfectoccasion to gain valuable insight about currenttrends, reflected in the films of emerging internationaltalent, and to meet the best young directorspersonally,” says Reedwisch. It is here that futureOscar winners, such as Caroline Link (Nowhere inAfrica), Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (The Livesof Others) and Florian Gallenberger (Quiero Ser),started their careers. ARRI supports the festival withan award for Best Documentary, endowed with a4,000 Euro voucher to be redeemed for services atARRI Rental or ARRI Film & TV.

There is also the Starter Film Award from the City ofMunich, recognizing aspiring directors. In Septemberthis event was held for the fourth time in the cinema

� STARTER FILM AWARD 2011: Angela Reedwisch ofARRI Film & TV (right) with recipients Claudia Lehmann andDaria Onyshchenko (C & D Films)

�ARRI SCHWARZFILM AWARD: director Maurice Hübner withproducers Franziska Remmele and Philipp Wolf (left to right),who won the Schwarzfilm Award for their project Kimono

Phot

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acke

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VISIONARRI

ARRI also has close ties with independent festivalsoutside of Munich. Among them are the HoferFilmtage, the Kinofest Lünen and the InternationalBerg & Abenteuer Filmfestival Graz. ARRI supportsthese festivals by assisting them with the production oftheir trailers and the conversion of festival entries todigital formats. Currently, ARRI is considering creatinga separate award for the DOK.Fest in Munich, whichup until now has received help with the production oftheir festival trailer. Other festivals that have receivedARRI’s support with their trailers for many years arethe Munich Film Festival and Berlinale.

ARRI also supports ‘Highlights’, an annual eventhosted by another German film school, the Baden-Württemberg Film Academy in Ludwigsburg, with aspecial producing award. “In this particular case weare trying to set ourselves apart from other content-related awards,” says Reedwisch, “by putting thespotlight on young producers, who are rarelyrecognized.” The award comes with a 5,000 Eurovoucher for postproduction services and goes to theproducers of the winning film, selected from amongthe Filmakademie’s annual roster of graduation films.

ARRI staff members also support German film schoolsby taking on academic roles. ARRI’s Chairman,Franz Kraus, for example, is head of the Technologydepartment at the University of Television and Film(HFF) in Munich. ARRI Film & TV Creative DirectorJürgen Schopper is dean of the School of Design atthe Georg Simon Ohm University of Applied Sciencesin Nuremburg, where he teaches classes in the Film &Animation department.

Axel Block and Michael Ballhaus spearheaded effortsto set up a camera department at the HFF in Munich.Their plan became a reality in 2010, when ARRI andBavaria Film committed to making an annual six-figure contribution over the course of the next threeyears. Franz Kraus, one of the initiators of thisundertaking, explains: “DoPs have always providedARRI with important ideas pertinent to new productdevelopment and have always had close ties to ourservices sector. Therefore Alex Block and MichaelBallhaus’ suggestion to set up a camera departmentat the HFF appealed to us. And I’m delighted that,together with Bavaria, we were able to help bringthis idea to fruition.”

ARRI’s academic involvement also entails a number ofinternship possibilities. Selected students, dependingon their specialty, become interns in one of ARRI’sdivisions – rental, lab or postproduction – for severalweeks or even a year. Often, they comerecommended by their tutors, but some studentsapproach ARRI directly. “They don’t necessarily haveto go through the official channels,” explainsReedwisch. “Internships create a special bondbetween the emerging talent and the company. Thestudents are part of the actual workflow, come incontact with other companies in the business,establish their own network and, in some cases, arehired right here at ARRI.” �

Ingo Klingspon

News from around the world

“SPONSORING FILM FESTIVALS ANDCOMPETITIONS AND SUPPORTINGFILM SCHOOL PROJECTS ARE THEPILLARS OF ARRI’S CONTINUEDEFFORTS TO FOSTER UP-AND-COMINGFILMMAKERS.”

�THE NEW BUILDING of the University of Television andFilm (HFF) in Munich

�ARRI AWARD 2011: ARRI Chairman Franz Kraus (left) presents the ARRI Awardto Le Havre actors Blondin Miguel and André Wilms, who accepted on directorAri Kaurismäki's behalf

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NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Key to the restructure is the appointment of RussellAllen as Director of Operations at ARRI Media, thecamera and grip equipment branch of ARRI’s UK rentaldivision. Allen, who has many years’ experience asHead of Features and Dramas at ARRI Media, will betasked with overseeing the day-to-day running of thecompany as well as expanding its proven ability toservice all types of motion picture and televisionproductions in the UK and across Europe. He will beassisted by Harriet Cannon, recently appointed asARRI Media’s Business Manager.

Thomas Loher, Managing Director of ARRI Rental inMunich, Budapest, Prague and Berlin, and now alsoof ARRI Media, will be responsible for ensuring thatall of ARRI’s European rental companies work

together to function as a coordinated, Europe-wideorganisation, with a unified, European approach.ARRI Lighting Rental in the UK will continue to be runby Managing Director Tommy Moran, with supportfrom General Manager Mike O’Hara and BusinessManager Sinead Moran, and will also be involvedin the new European rental approach.

Another new appointment is that of David Everitt,who takes on the role of Financial Director for theARRI GB group of companies: ARRI CT, ARRI Mediaand ARRI Lighting Rental. Camera and lighting salesstaff will continue to report to their respective businessunits in Munich and Berlin, as has been the casesince the UK sales operation merged with ARRI’sEMEA sales structure in 2009.

News from around the world

New management structure for ARRI Group companiesin the UKUK companies within the ARRI Group have put in place a solid, new managementstructure, continuing the consolidation of recent years and strengthening linkswith ARRI’s wider rental operation in order to move forward as an integrated,European business.

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VISIONARRI

� MIREK OBRMAN

�News from around the world

“The acquisition of Panther Rental in Prague was anopportunity for us to further expand our marketposition in the Czech Republic and EasternEurope,” says Thomas Loher, Managing Directorof ARRI Rental. “I’m very pleased to welcome MirekObrman as General Manager, his profoundknowledge of the sector, extensive experience inthe rental business and his language expertise – hespeaks fluent Czech, German and English – will beof huge benefit. All this gives him the perfect profilefor supporting our Czech and internationalcustomers.”

Obrman was born in Prague and grew up inSwitzerland and Germany. His language skillswere further rounded out by many months spent inCanada and the USA. After completing hiseconomics degree in Munich, he returned to Pragueand worked in the banking sector before joiningPanther in 2002. Following intensive training in thecamera, lighting and dolly grip departments, hethen became General Manager of Panther Rentalin 2003.

“I’m very pleased to bring the benefit of theexperience I’ve gained in the film industry toARRI Rental,” comments Obrman on his new role.“The focus for myself and my employees willcontinue to be on intensive consulting and fullservice, so that Czech and international customersknow we’re taking good care of them. We offer acomprehensive range of services, particularly in thearea of commercial and feature film production,with a large inventory of high-quality camera,lighting and dolly grip equipment. For example,we’re currently servicing an ambitious international3D film project with the necessary technology.”

ARRI Rental Prague is now at the followinglocations:

ARRI Rental Prague (new)Lighting equipmentNa Radosti 420Hala Císlo 5155 21 Prague 5 - ZlicínCzech RepublicTel: +420 234 707 500

ARRI Rental PragueCameras, cranes & dolly gripK Holyni 833/42154 00 Prague 5 - SlivenecCzech RepublicTel: +420 251 01 35 71

www.arri-rental.com

ARRI Rental appoints Mirek Obrman asGeneral Manager of PragueFollowing the acquisition of Panther Rental Prague s.r.o. by ARRIRental Germany in August 2011, Mirek Obrman has been appointedGeneral Manager of ARRI Rental Prague. Obrman will head boththe former Panther facility, located in the Zlicín district of the Czechcapital, and ARRI Rental’s existing branch in Slivenec. He succeedsRobert Keil, who departed in August.

Page 46: VisionARRI Magazine Issue 12

PRODUCTION UPDATE

ARRI CSCTitle Production Company DoP/Lighting Director Gaffer Equipment Serviced by

The Reluctant Cine Mosaic Declan Quinn ASC Denny Mooradian ARRI ALEXA, Codex Recorders ARRI CSC NJFundamentalistThe Silver Linings The Weinstein Masanobu Takayanagi Bill O’Leary ARRICAM 2-Perforation, ARRI CSC NJPlaybook Company Master Primes, Lighting & GripPerson of Interest CBS Teo Maniaci Jim McCullagh ARRI ALEXA ARRI CSC NJUnforgettable CBS Chris Faloona Tom Landi ARRI ALEXA ARRI CSC NJGods Behaving Badly Lakewood Brothers Tak Fujimoto ASC Rusty Engles ARRI ALEXA, S.two Recorders, ARRI CSC NJ

Production Lighting & GripLittle Boy Little Boy Productions Andrew Cadelago Doug Shannon Lighting & Grip Illumination

Dynamics CAARGO Stage 16 Rodrigo Prieto ASC, AMC Randy Woodside Lighting Illumination

Dynamics CAHomeland Pacific 2.1 (Fox) Nelson Cragg Tom Sullivan ARRI ALEXA, Camera Support Illumination

Dynamics NCMagic City Starz Miami Prod. LLC Gabriel Beristain ASC, BSC Danny Eccleston ARRI ALEXA ARRI CSC FL

ARRI RENTALTitle Production Company Director DoP Equipment

The Borgias (Season 2) Mid Atlantic Films Neil Jordan Paul Sarossy ARRI ALEXA, GripSams im Glück collina filmproduktion Peter Gersina Gerhard Schirlo ARRI ALEXA, Lighting, GripVIJ Ankor Film Stepchenko Oleg Vladimir Smutny, ARRI ALEXA, Stereotec 3D

Iaroslav Pilunskyi Mid Size Rig, Lighting, GripVatertage ClaussenWöbkePutz Film Ingo Rasper Ueli Steiger ARRI ALEXA, GripUnter Verdacht – Eikon Media Andreas Herzog Wolfgang Aichholzer ARRI ALEXA, Lighting, GripDas Blut der ErdeNachtlärm X Filme, T&C Film Christoph Schaub Nikolai von Graevenitz ARRI ALEXA, Lighting, GripWorld Without End Mid Atlantic Films Michael Caton-Jones Denis Crossan BSC ARRI ALEXACloud Atlas Oberon Film Tom Tykwer, Frank Griebe, ARRICAM Studio & Lite 3-Perforation,

Andy & Lana John Toll ASC 4-Perforation, Lighting, GripWachowski

Upgrade Wüste Film Franziska Buch Hagen Bogdanski ARRICAM Studio & Lite 2-PerforationHuck Finn Neue Schönhauser Hermine Sebastian Edschmid ARRICAM Studio & Lite

Filmproduktion Huntgeburth 2-Perforation, Lighting, GripKein Wort zu Papa Made in Munich Movies Mark von Seydlitz Cico Nicolaisen ARRIFLEX 416, Lighting, GripDas unsichtbare Mädchen Cinecentrum Dominik Graf Michael Wiesweg ARRIFLEX 416, Lighting, Grip

ARRI LIGHTING RENTALTitle Production Company Director DoP Gaffer Best Boy

Anna Karenina Green Twig Films Joe Wright Seamus McGarvey BSC, ASC Chuck Finch Billy Merrell2nd Unit: Alan Stewart 2nd Unit: Jimmy Wilson

Trance Fox Searchlight (UK) Danny Boyle Anthony Dod Thomas Neivelt Darren HarveyMantle DFF, BSC, ASC

All Things to All Men All Things to All Men George Isaac Howard Atherton BSC Mike Chambers Chris MortleyNow Is Good Now Is Good Ol Parker Erik Wilson Andy Lowe Chris StonesSightseers Sightseers Film Ben Wheatley Lori Rose Martin Taylor Jordan PerryA Fantastic Fear Sensitive Artist Productions Chris Hopewell, Simon Chaudoir Tom Lea Benny Harperof Everything Crispian MillsNemesis Kudos Film & Television S.J. Clarkson Balazs Bolygo Stuart King Russell TannSilk (Season 2) BBC Television Peter Hoar Dale McCready Chris Bird Toby FlesherEpisodes (Season 2) Hat Trick Productions Jim Field Smith Rob Kitzmann Fritz Henry John WalkerParades End Mammoth Screen Susanna White Mike Eley BSC Paul Murphy Dave OwenEndeavour Mammoth Screen Colm McCarthy Gavin Struthers Mark Clayton Benny HarperGame of Thrones Fire & Blood Productions Neil Marshall, PJ Dillon, Tom Gates Giancarlo(Season 2) David Nutter, Jonathan Freeman ASC, Wolf Unit: McDonnell

David Petrarca, Martin Kenzie, Pat SweeneyAlik Sakharov, Sam McCurdy BSC,Alan Taylor Kramer Morgenthau ASC

Sinbad Impossible Pictures Brian Grant, Gavin Finney BSC, Mark Taylor Lawrence DuffyColin Teague, Peter Sinclair,Andy Wilson Fabian Wagner

One Night BBC Television David Evans David Katznelson BSC Otto Stenov Paul StarkeyGreat Expectations BBC Television Brian Kirk Florian Hoffmeister Dan Fontaine Phil HurstCall the Midwife CTM Productions Philippa Lowthorpe, Chris Seager BSC Stuart King Russell Tann

Jamie PayneThe Royal Bodyguard Hat Trick Productions Mark Bussell, Geoff Harrison Joe Spence Tony Ephgrave

Justin Sbresni

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VISIONARRI

ARRI FILM & TV - POST PRODUCTION SERVICES - COMMERCIALSClient Title Agency Production Director DoP

Penny Séance & Wehen Serviceplan Campaign e+p commercial Sven Bollinger Kristian LeschnerSchweppes Schwekraft, Barmatte Interone Hager Moss Sven Lützenkirchen Sven Lützenkirchen

u.w. CommercialMcDonald’s Deutschland Inc. Stars of America & Heye & Partner e+p commercial Jan Bonny Nikolai von Graevenitz

Best ofMcDonald’s Deutschland Inc. Happy Meal u.a. Heye & Partner

Wicki, Schlümpfe,Der gestiefelte Kater

Spinmaster div. Toy-Spot Hyde & Hyde(Zoobles, Airhogs u.w.)

Targo Bank Entertainment Card Heye & Partner WELOVEFILM Christoph Dammast Christoph DammastEOFT EOFT 2011 Moving Adventures Moving Adventures Executive Producer: diverse

Medien Medien Joachim Hellinger,Thomas Witt

ZDF ZDF Winterspot Made in Munich Nina Pfeifenberger/ Nina Pfeifenberger/Commercial Forgeign Office Marius Herzog

Appel Feinkost Genießerhappen Serviceplan Design e+p commercial Claude Mougin Daniel Gottschalk& Salat

Triumph Shape Sensation Bloom Project Lüthje Schneider Hörl Jan Voss Nik Summerer

ARRI MEDIATitle Production Company Director DoP Equipment

Skyfall B23 Sam Mendes Roger Deakins BSC, ASC ARRI ALEXA, Codex Recorders,Ultra Primes, Master Primes, Grip

Trance Fox Searchlight UK Danny Boyle Anthony Dod Mantle ARRI ALEXA, Codex Recorders, GripDFF, BSC, ASC

All Things to All Men All Things to All Men George Isaac Howard Atherton BSC ARRICAM Lite 3-PerforationNow Is Good Now Is Good Ol Parker Erik Wilson ARRICAM Studio & Lite 3-Perforation,

Master Primesuwantme2killhim? U Want Film Andrew Douglas Tim Wooster ARRICAM Lite 3-Perforation, GripA Fantastic Fear Sensitive Artist Productions Chris Hopewell, Simon Chaudoir ARRI ALEXAof Everything Crispian MillsDownton Abbey Carnival Film & Television Brian Percival Nigel Willoughby ARRI ALEXA, Grip(Christmas Special)Hustle (Season 8) Kudos Film & Television Alrick Riley Simon Archer, ARRIFLEX D-21, Ultra Primes

Damian BromleyEpisodes (Season 2) Hat Trick Productions Jim Field Smith Rob Kitzmann ARRI ALEXA, GripThe Café Jellylegs Productions Craig Cash Daf Hobson BSC ARRICAM Studio & Lite 3-Perforation,

Master Primes, GripCall the Midwife CTM Productions Philippa Lowthorpe, Chris Seager BSC ARRIFLEX D-21

Jamie PayneGame of Thrones Fire & Blood Productions Neil Marshall, PJ Dillon, ARRI ALEXA, Codex Recorders, Grip(Season 2) David Nutter, Jonathan Freeman ASC,

David Petrarca, Martin Kenzie,Alik Sakharov, Sam McCurdy BSC,Alan Taylor Kramer Morgenthau ASC

Sinbad Impossible Pictures Brian Grant, Gavin Finney BSC, ARRI ALEXAColin Teague, Peter Sinclair,Andy Wilson Fabian Wagner

ARRI FILM & TV - POST PRODUCTION SERVICES - FEATURESTitle Production Company Director DoP Services

A Fold In My Blanket Zazar Film Zaza Rusadze Goga Devdariani Lab, DI, HD-MasteringAutumn Blood Mountain Film Markus Blunder Reed Morano Lab, DI, HD-Mastering, SoundCloud Atlas Oberon Film Tom Tykwer, Frank Griebe, Lab, DI, HD-Mastering, Sound

Andy & Lana Wachowski John Toll ASCDas verlorene Lachen Neue Mediopolis Film Bernd Sahling Anne Misselwitz Digital Dailies, DI, HD-Mastering, LabDie Quellen des Lebens X Filme Oskar Roehler Carl-Friedrich Lab, DI, HD-Mastering, VFX

KoschnickDie Vampirschwestern ClaussenWöbkePutz Wolfgang Groos Bernhard Jasper Digital Dailies, DI, HD-Mastering,

Film FX, Sound, LabHanni & Nanni 2 UFA Cinema Julia von Heinz Felix Poplawsky Digital Dailies, DI, HD-Mastering,

Sound, LabHeute bin ich blond Goldkind Filmproduktion Marc Rothemund Martin Langer Lab, DI, HD-Mastering, SoundHuck Finn Neue Schönhauser Hermine Huntgeburth Sebastian Edschmid Lab, DI, HD-Mastering

FilmproduktionLudwig II Bavaria Pictures Peter & Marie-Noelle Christian Berger Digital Dailies, DI, HD-Mastering, Lab

SehrNachtlärm X Filme, T&C Film Christoph Schaup Nikolai von Graevenitz Digital Dailies, DI, HD-Mastering, LabSams im Glück collina filmproduktion Peter Gersina Gerhard Schirlo Digital Dailies, DI, HD-Mastering,

VFX, Sound, LabUpgrade Wüste Film Franziska Buch Hagen Bodganski Lab, DIVatertage ClaussenWöbkePutz Film Ingo Rasper Ueli Steiger Digital Dailies, DI, HD-Mastering,

Sound, LabWer's glaubt, wird selig Wiedemann & Berg Marcus H. Rosenmüller Stefan Biebl Digital Dailies, DI, HD-Mastering,

VFX, Lab

Published by the ARRI Rental Group Marketing Department. 3 Highbridge, Oxford Road, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 1LX United KingdomThe opinions expressed by individuals quoted in articles in VisionARRI do not necessarily represent those of the ARRI Rental Group or the editors. Due to our constant endeavour to improvequality and design, modifications may be made to products from time to time. Details of availability and specifications given in this publication are subject to change without notice.

Page 48: VisionARRI Magazine Issue 12

The ALEXA Studio brings together the best of leading edge digital and optical technologies.Combine ALEXA Studio with the ARRI Rental Group’s unrivalled knowledge and experience in supplyinghigh-end cameras and you’ve got the perfect partnership.

■ 4:3 sensor with ALEXA image quality■ Uncompressed, uncompromised ARRIRAW■ Optical viewfinder and mirror shutter■ ARRI Rental Group‘s service and support

www.arri.com

THE PERFECT PARTNERSHIP:ALEXA & THE ARRI RENTAL GROUP

ALEXA MCOMING

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