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Dear Colleague:
Here's an advance look at the June 2005 issue
of American Cinematographer magazine,
which will highlight summer blockbusters.
Batman Begins (Warner Bros.)
Director of photography Wally Pfister, ASC will reveal
all of the techniques he brought to bear on this intriguing
retelling of the Caped Crusader's "origin story,"
which stars Christian Bale in the title role. Pfister
and his frequent collaborator, director Christopher
Nolan (for whom Pfister shot Memento and Insomnia),
aimed for a stripped-down, harder-hitting take on the
Batman mythos, keeping CGI and other digital
techniques to a minimum. Many of the film's action scenes
were shot practically, both on stages in England and
on real streets in Chicago. Our extensive coverage will
also include details about the show's miniature photography.
Cinderella Man (Universal)
Salvatore Totino (Any Given Sunday, Changing Lanes)
was behind the camera on this Depression-era saga about
the life and times of boxer Jim J. Braddock (played
by Russell Crowe), who captured the public imagination
by defeating heavyweight champ Max Baer in a 15-round
donnybrook staged in 1935. To capture realistic action
inside the ring, Totino employed a special rig that
resembled a punching bag, and also absorbed blows while
wearing protective padding. In addition, Maple Leaf
Center in Toronto was redressed and relit to represent
both Madison Square Garden and Madison Square Bowl,
an outdoor boxing ring used for summer-night fights.
Kingdom of Heaven (20th Century Fox)
Set during the Crusades of the 12th Century, this medieval
epic concerns Balian of Ibelin (Orlando Bloom), a young
blacksmith in Jerusalem who attempts to protect his
people from foreign invaders. The project reteamed cinematographer
John Mathieson, BSC and director Ridley Scott, whose
prior credits together include Gladiator and
Hannibal. Mathieson, who recently earned an Academy
Award nomination for his work on The Phantom of the
Opera, will detail his approach to the film's lavish
interiors, exteriors and battle sequences.
Into the West (TNT)
This ambitious, six-part television miniseries, shot
amid the scenic landscapes of Calgary and New Mexico,
chronicles two families' experiences in 19th-century
America, when pioneers began the long trek across the
wilderness and Native Americans began to confront the
encroachment on their sacred lands. ASC cinematographers
William Wages (Buffalo Soldiers, Riders of
the Purple Sage) and Alan Caso (Six Feet Under,
Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story) shot three
segments apiece, and will analyze their approach to
the project's logistics and Western motifs.
The June issue's departments will also offer
illuminating insights:
DVD Playback will review three interesting disks:
Wind (1992), shot by John Toll, ASC; Incident
at Loch Ness (2004), shot by John Bailey, ASC;
and Panic in the Streets (1950), shot
by Joseph MacDonald, ASC.
Production Slate will open with a piece detailing
the methods that Russell Carpenter, ASC used to light
leading actresses Jennifer Lopez and Jane Fonda in Monster-in-Law.
We will also cover some of the tricks, techniques
and special rigs that cinematographer Elliot Davis used
while shooting the skateboarding drama Lords of
Dogtown.
Points East will detail cinematographer Peter
Donahue's work on Junebug, a
2005 Sundance Film Festival entry that was shot on location
in North Carolina.
Short Takes will present an interview with cinematographer
Caroline Brandes about her imagery for the film Plum
Flower.
Post Focus will present news of note from two
well-known post facilities: the U.K.'s Midnight Transfer,
which is now offering a new service called "D.I.
From Day One," and the New York-based Cineric,
Inc., which recently completed a restoration of Carousel
(1956), the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical
produced by 20th Century Fox in the CinemaScope 55 format.
ASC Close-Up will present our Q & A with
cinematographer and author Jon Fauer, ASC, who recently
penned an updated version of his in-depth Arricam
Book and will soon begin writing technical columns
for American Cinematographer.
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