Dear Colleague:
Here's an advance look at the May 2004 issue of American Cinematographer magazine, which will include a special section on independent film featuring standout films from the recent Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
Also included in this e-newsletter is some recent news from the American Society of Cinematographers.
Van Helsing
Acclaimed director of photography Allen Daviau, ASC offers a detailed analysis of his work on this spectacular new horror-adventure film, which pits the famous monster-killer of the title (played by Hugh Jackman) against an array of Universal Studios' classic fiends, including Count Dracula, the Wolf Man and Frankenstein's monster.
Helter Skelter
Don FauntLeRoy, ASC manned the camera on this three-hour telefilm, which revisits the notorious 1969 killing spree masterminded by Los Angeles-based cult leader Charles Manson. Based on the true-crime book of the same name by Vincent Bugliosi, the famed prosecutor who convicted Manson, this version of the story offers a close focus on Manson himself (played by Jeremy Davies) and the events leading up to the murders.
Our Sundance Film Festival coverage will highlight the following films from this year's event:
November
Nancy Schreiber, ASC employed digital video cameras for this striking drama, which earned her the Sundance Film Festival's award for Best Cinematography in the Dramatic Feature category. The film uses stylish means to tell the story of a Los Angeles photographer (Courteney Cox) who is haunted by the memory of a violent crime.
Imelda
Ferne Pearlstein won the Sundance Festival's Best Cinematography prize in the Documentary category for her memorable work on this film, which traces the life of former Philippines first lady (and infamous shoe fetishist) Imelda Marcos. In telling the tale of this powerful and controversial woman, Imelda solicits not only the views of Marcos and her circle, but also dissenting opinions from opponents and journalists who were once imprisoned under the martial law imposed by her late husband, Ferdinand Marcos, who ruled the Philippines as president from 1965-1986.
The Woodsman
Javier Perez Grobet shot this hard-hitting drama entirely on high-speed film stock in order to lend the imagery an extra edge. The film, which follows a pedophile's efforts to overcome his dark impulses, earned acclaim from both audiences and critics at this year's festival, and features memorable performances by Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick.
Maria Full of Grace
Cinematographer Jim Denault lent his eye to the powerful story of a young girl from Bogotá, Colombia who yearns to escape her impoverished and limited world. When she's approached by a stylish young man promising a cool job involving travel, she jumps at the chance, only to learn that she's expected to smuggle drugs into the United States.
BAADASSSSS!
Robert Primes, ASC used digital cameras to shoot the story behind the making of the 1971 film Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, a landmark of African-American cinema directed by Melvin Van Peebles. In this loving tribute to his father's pioneering motion picture, director Mario Van Peebles (who made his screen debut in the original film at age 13) literally steps into his dad's shoes by playing him onscreen. The result is a riveting look at the sheer determination that allowed Melvin to complete his classic film.
Dogville
Cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle teamed with controversial Danish director Lars von Trier to create this unusual and offbeat film. Set in small Colorado mining town during the 19th century, Dogville was shot entirely within a sparsely dressed soundstage. The film tells the story of Grace (Nicole Kidman), a mysterious woman who seeks to escape pursuing gangsters by taking refuge in Dogville. The town's inhabitants reluctantly agree to hide her, but slowly conspire to turn her into their servant and prisoner.
This issue's departments will cover an array of other interesting projects and topics:
DVD Playback will review discs of three memorable motion pictures with
thought-provoking narrative twists and fine cinematography: Blow-Up (1966,
shot by Carlo Di Palma), director Michelangelo Antonioni's masterpiece about
a fashion photographer who thinks he may have photographed a murder in
Swinging London; Persona (1966, Shot by Sven Nykvist,ASC), Ingmar Bergman's
groundbreaking masterpiece about the complex psychological relationship that
develops between a nurse and her patient; and Swimming Pool (2003, shot by
Yorick Le Saux), a steamy art-house thriller about a repressed female
novelist who finds herself sharing a summer house with a friend's nubile,
free-spirited daughter.
Production Slate will present pieces on two ultra-indie films: Homework (shot by Richard Rutkowski), which was recently named Best Narrative Feature at the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, and My Big Fat Independent Movie (shot by Scott Peck), a comedy that parodies scenes and characters from well-known indie films.
Points East will offer details about the shooting of Open Water, a shark thriller that made waves at Sundance. Shot in the Caribbean by filmmakers from Brooklyn, New York, the movie tells the harrowing tale of married scuba divers who are left adrift in shark-infested waters by a careless boat crew.
Short Takes will present coverage of a new Gillette ad shot by Nick Taylor and a Nike spot featuring camerawork and effects by Anthony Doublin.
