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Dear Colleague:
Here's an advance look at the February 2005 issue
of American Cinematographer magazine, which will
highlight teleproduction.
Lost (ABC)
One of the runaway hits of the new TV season, Lost
concerns a group of plane-crash survivors who find themselves
stranded on a remote island rife with mysterious threats.
The show's pilot was shot by Larry Fong, who alternates
episodes of the series with ASC member Michael Bonvillain.
Both cinematographers will offer insights into their
methods on the show, which is shot on location in Hawaii.
The O.C. (Fox)
AC technical editor Christopher Probst will
reveal the behind-the-scenes strategies that go into
the making of one of television's hottest prime-time
dramas. Set in the wealthy, upper-class neighborhood
of Newport Beach in Orange County, California, The
O.C. uses a variety of stagebound tricks to simulate
its well-heeled settings, and cinematographer Jamie
Barber is ready to share his secrets.
Once Upon a Mattress (ABC)
Rob McLachlan, ASC, CSC was behind the (high-definition)
camera on this musical special, and he offered to write
his own account of the production for AC. A delightful
take on the children’s story The Princess and the
Pea, the show is adapted from the Broadway musical
by Mary Rogers that helped make Carol Burnett a star
in the late 1950s. This new version also features Burnett,
but in the role of Queen Aggravain; starring in Burnett's
original role of Princess Winnifred is another talented
comedienne, Tracy Ullmann. McLachlan's illuminating,
first-person account of the production offers a wealth
of insights and technical detail.
Fred Koenekamp, ASC will receive the ASC's highest
honor — the Lifetime Achievement Award — at the Society's
annual awards gala in early 2005. To further honor Koenekamp's
contributions to the art of cinematography, AC
historian Robert S. Birchard sat down for a lengthy
chat with the veteran director of photography, whose
long list of achievements includes an Academy Award
for The Towering Inferno (shared with Joseph
Biroc, ASC) and Oscar nominations for Patton
and Islands in the Stream. Koenekamp's credits
also include Papillon,
Fun With Dick and Jane, The Amityville Horror and
Flight of the Intruder, as well as episodes of
the classic television series The Outer Limits, The
Man From U.N.C.L.E. and Kung-Fu.
The February issue's departments will also offer
illuminating insights:
DVD Playback will review DVDs that will surely
appeal to those with a taste for the macabre. First
up is the original Dawn of the Dead (1978), the
hugely influential zombie chiller shot by Michael Gornick
and directed by George Romero. Also coming under AC's
scrutiny will be The Hunger (1983), a stylish
and erotic vampire thriller shot by Stephen Goldblatt,
ASC, BSC for director Tony Scott. Finally, while not
a horror film, Ed Wood (1994) pays glorious black-and-white
homage to the frighteningly inept filmmaker of the title,
who compensated for his lack of directing skill with
an abundance of heart and passion. Cinematographer Stefan
Czapsky shot this tribute for director Tim Burton, whose
affection for “the worst director who ever lived” is
evident in every frame.
Global Village will spotlight the Japanese film
Nobody Knows (shot by Yutaka Yamasaki), which
drew praise at the Cannes Film Festival last spring.
Production Slate will offers insights into two
notable teleproductions: Miracle's Boys,
a six-episode miniseries shot by Cliff Charles for the
N, the nighttime network for ’tweens and teens that
is part of the MTV Networks, and the pilot for the new
Fox series House M.D., shot by Newton Thomas
Sigel, ASC.
Points East will feature the critically acclaimed
documentary Born Into Brothels, directed
and shot by Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman.
Short Takes will examine a series of Motorola
cell-phone ads that were actually shot with the phones'
built-in cameras by Ed Lachman, ASC.
ASC Close-Up will offer insights into the life
and career of Tony Askins, ASC, whose numerous television
credits include stints on such popular shows as The
Love Boat, Will and Grace, Becker, 8 Simple
Rules and Two and a Half Men.
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