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Dear
Colleague:
Here's
an advance look at the April 2004 issue of
American Cinematographer magazine, which
will focus on digital technology. Also included
in this e-newsletter are some items of note from the
American Society of Cinematographers.
Eternal
Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Cinematographer
Ellen Kuras, ASC discusses her work on director Michel
Gondry's film about a man (Jim Carrey) who has memories
of his girlfriend (Kate Winslet) wiped from his mind.
The surreal script was penned by postmodern screenwriter
Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich). In addition
to shooting the film, Kuras supervised the digital-intermediate
process.
Never
Die Alone
Two
prominent ASC members – cinematographer Matthew
Libatique and cinematographer-turned-director Ernest
Dickerson – teamed up on this edgy noir drama,
which tells the tale of a notorious drug dealer's final
days. The filmmakers shot the movie on Super 16 film
stock and then fine-tuned the look with a digital intermediate.
The
Alamo
Dean Semler, ASC, ACS supervised the cinematography
on this historical epic, which recreates one of the
defining moments in United States history: the 1836
siege of the Alamo, a Texas fort defended by 200 men
who sacrified their lives in an attempt to repel thousands
of Mexican troops led by General Antonio Lopez de Santa
Anna.
Hidalgo
Cinematographer Shelly Johnson, ASC crafted beautiful
imagery for a film based on the true story of the greatest
long-distance horse race ever run: the Ocean of Fire,
a 3,000-mile survival test staged in the Arabian Desert.
Set in 1890, the tale follows the fortunes of a cowboy
and dispatch rider (Viggo Mortensen) who seeks to prove
that he and his mustang, Hidalgo, can compete against
the finest Arabian horses ever bred.
Hellboy
Guillermo Navarro, ASC, AMC manned the camera on this
action-packed film, based on a popular comic-book character
with a large cult following. Navarro's cinematographic
challenges included the incorporation of sophisticated
computer-generated visual effects.
This
issue's departments will cover an array of other interesting
projects and topics:
DVD
Playback will review the DVD versions of first-rate
science-fiction films, including Alien Quadrilogy,
a 9-disk set featuring both original and director's-cut
versions of all four Alien movies, along with
ample supplements; Escape From New York, which
teamed cinematographer Dean Cundey, ASC and director
John Carpenter; and the quirky, apocalyptic 1975 cult
film A Boy and His Dog.
Production
Slate will unearth The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra,
a black-and-white homage to B-movies that was shot on
digital video by cinematographer Kevin Jones.
Short
Takes will present coverage of a video by the band
Phoenix, shot with HD cameras by cinematographer Yon
Thomas for director Roman Coppola, and the playful short
film Sizzling Kung-Fu Mice, which required cinematographer
Bruce Logan to work with virtual sets.
In
Tomorrow's Technology, colorist Lou Levinson
of Post Logic will discuss the powerful creative possibilities
of the digital-intermediate process, which has become
a key topic for modern cinematographers.
Filmmakers'
Forum will present a piece by William Fraker, ASC
about his experiences at the recent CamerImage Festival
in Poland, where he received the Golden Frog Award for
his lifetime achievements in cinematography.
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