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NZCS Newsletter 5

Up to date information can also be found on our website - httpwwwnzcinecomAnd our Facebook page - httpwwwfacebookcomgroupsnzcine

If you have any articles or photos to contribute please contact diannenzcinecom

SHOOTING TATAU with Dale McCready

After shooting in the UK for the last seven years it was a pleasure to be asked back to New Zealand toshoot a tv show A chance to catch up with friends and family but also a chance to go to the islands andreconnect with crew and cast I hadnt seen for a long time Most recently in the UK Id been shooting high-end drama aimed around family viewing with shows suchas Merlin In The Flesh and Atlantis While shooting In The Flesh I had the great pleasure of working with

Producer John Rushton and at the time he mentioned he was going to make a show set on a fictionalisland in the South Pacific shooting in Auckland and Rarotonga My interest was piqued to say the leastThen I found Id have the chance to work with a great Director in Wayne Yip who had made the veryinteresting Utopia for Channel 4 An opportunity I couldnrsquot pass up I wrapped in Manchester from a show called Cucumber and headed straight to New Zealand and on to arecce bus to tour Auckland Bethells Pukututu and Murphys Bush I was definitely home Straight onafter that to wonderful Rarotonga and many trips around the Island Tatau presented some challenges to film Auckland in windy rainy spring had to match in with high-season sunny Rarotonga Day for Night shooting in jungles high contrast interiors with hot sea andsand outside Wayne and I really wanted to create a show that looked distinctive but of course with thenormal limitations of time and money We both favoured shooting anamorphic even though we werent able to screen the full widescreen in thefinal delivery We both felt that the lenses would give us great optical character even without thelandscape aspect I also really wanted to use my FlyLine cable cam system and Gremsy gimbal so thislead us toward using the smaller lighter Red epic camera We could crop in and not lose too muchresolution and also the high resolution gave us more framing options We settled on Kowa Prominarlenses which had a limited 4 lens set so the flexibility of the camera format and oversampling from 6Khelped us punch in closer when we needed to We also had limited options in the way of power and lighting in Rarotonga so we tried to get the newerDragon sensor for the Red through Dean Thomas at Imagezone Id hoped this would help balance thestrong contrast in Raro between a darker interiors and the sunny exteriors for day work with itrsquospotentially wide latitude sensor Over the course of the shoot our experiments proved fruitful The gimbal gave us a cost effectiveSteadicam style rig while also serving as a terrific stabilised remote head on jibs and rigs The cableCam created dynamic movement and the lenses always made the shots look interesting with terrificdistorted bokeh even if they were on the edge of sharpness at times The Red Dragon camera sensor was truly impressive holding highlights and I dont think any othercamera at the moment can beat it for latitude It is fairly low noise so our beach night shoots could beexposed just on the limits of our lighting capability and looked fantastic once graded up The 6K detail isbeautiful very cinema in feel For night exteriors in the islands we used one 4K HMI one m18 and two Area48 phosphor panels thatwere absolutely beautiful bounced We added to this my own Rotolight Anova bicolour LED and smallertungsten and kino fittings Judicious placement of fires by the very capable Art Dept provided abackground when there was none and occasionally we could blast the 4K straight out to sea to light upthe reef to give us some more depth even if it was just a line of crashing surf in the distance I was ably supported on the shoot by Gaffer John Bell and his team while Kirsten Green managed tohold focus when I was pushing the lenses as far as I could Grip Conrad Hosking provided some terrificlight-weight dolly and rig options in the islands which were so useful I ended up preferring them to thefull dolly most of the time back in New Zealand too We used a combination of pipe slider up to 5m in length and a short Silent Cat slider We used a light jibfor crane shots using a slimmed-down B camera on the gimbal operated by remote control with joystickor handwheels This rig also worked beautifully inverted on a hihat to shoot boat to boat The stability ofthe gimbal meant I could frame a shot of swimmers or an island and the camera would just hold theframe no matter what the camera boat was doing underneath it At one point we created a fun continuous panning shot in the jungle with 3 characters sitting around thecamera The gimbal was inverted on a hi hat and sat in the middle of the cast while the crew hid behindtrees as we remotely panned 4 or 5 revolutions Much more fun that trying to operate a normal head andstumble about amongst the cast The Kowa lenses we ended up with proved perfect for the material Theyre interesting and flare nicelybut are extremely light and small I could fit 3 of the 4 Kowas on to the gimbal without overloading it I

supplemented the Kowas with my own Lomography Petzval 85mm lens using an EF mount for the Redand I also at times used my Dog Schid Optiks Trump5838mm lenses when a big focus rack wasneeded The Trump has the option of using a drop-in Waterhouse aperture to mimic the ellipse ofanamorphic even though its a spherical lens This cuts in very well with true anamorphic shots We also got to experiment with shooting in very low light using the new A7S Sony camera We shot acouple of scenes one in candlelight and another in dim street light and this camera was very impressivein this use Most noticeably we had to put a torch on the actors marks at one point because it was to darkfor them to be seen Not a problem Irsquod expected to encounter in a normal drama shoot All in all this shoot was terrific fun and I think itll look really interesting We used a combination of dollyhandheld Easyrig gimbal cable-cam and crane to shoot the show with an emphasis on keeping thecamera alive as much as possible It was great fun getting back home to work for a change and dip my toes back into the industry after awhile away I can see that things are looking up in general with plenty of work on the way My onlythought to add to the future is that I could see that if things get busy there seemed to be very fewyounger camera people coming up I think long term there needs to be an emphasis on training newtalent and in particular emphasis needs to be placed on making being a camera assistant an attractiveoption for people getting into the industry Not to mention there seems to be a gap in Steadicamoperators and Focus Pullers emerging Something to watch Id like to thank the crew for all their time in helping to make Tatau the fun show it is and hope it allowseveryone another chance to go to Raro next year There are far worse places to shoot

(Photo above Kirsten Green amp Abby Mounter)

UPDATE ON APPLYING FOR ACCREDITATION

Applying for AccreditationWhat is accreditation

Accreditation is part of a framework within the NZCS that recognises excellence in cinematography andencourages the pursuit of that excellenceBased on three cornerstones accreditation is peer recognition accreditation recognises the skills notthe format and accreditation is open to any full member of the society

the format and accreditation is open to any full member of the society

To this end it is important for members who feel that they have reached a certain level in their craft toconsider applying for NZCS accreditation

Applications are available all year round on the NZCS website httpwwwnzcinecomapplication-for-accreditation

While the application process may seem onerous at first there is ample motivation and time to begin theprocess of applying with the application deadline not closing until May 31st each year

All areas of cinematography are open to accreditation and as accreditation recognises the skills and notthe format applications should not be limited to feature and television drama cinematographers aloneApplication requirements are straightforward However a comprehensive body of work is needed inorder to apply and only a cinematographerrsquos best work should be submitted

How do I apply for accreditation

There are three ways to begin the accreditation process within the NZCS by application by nominationand by invitation This article will concentrate on application whereby any full member can apply foraccreditation after three years membership of the society

There are four main parts to an accreditation application

1 Letters of endorsementEach application needs to be accompanied by letters of endorsement from two accreditedmembers of the NZCS only one of whom may be an accreditation committee member A list ofaccredited members can be found on the accredited members page of the website(httpwwwnzcinecomaccredited-members ) A list of accreditation committee members can befound on the website main page

2 A full and detailed CV (and website link if applicable)3 A showreel no longer than 10 minutes in duration4 Full copies of two complete projects be they features episodes andor documentaries If the

applicantrsquos main work is in other genres then the suggestion is 10x commercials 10x musicvideos 10x current affairs segments etc

The technical specifications of the video files to be submitted can be found on the accreditationapplication download

Complete applications along with the application fee of $275 must be lodged with the NZCS SecretaryPO Box 78 360 Grey Lynn Auckland 1245 no later than the 31st of May of any given year Incompleteapplications may not be accepted

httpwwwnzcinecomaccreditationpdf

Photograph below by Simon Riera Thom Burstyn receiving his accreditation certificate

Producer John Rushton and at the time he mentioned he was going to make a show set on a fictionalisland in the South Pacific shooting in Auckland and Rarotonga My interest was piqued to say the leastThen I found Id have the chance to work with a great Director in Wayne Yip who had made the veryinteresting Utopia for Channel 4 An opportunity I couldnrsquot pass up I wrapped in Manchester from a show called Cucumber and headed straight to New Zealand and on to arecce bus to tour Auckland Bethells Pukututu and Murphys Bush I was definitely home Straight onafter that to wonderful Rarotonga and many trips around the Island Tatau presented some challenges to film Auckland in windy rainy spring had to match in with high-season sunny Rarotonga Day for Night shooting in jungles high contrast interiors with hot sea andsand outside Wayne and I really wanted to create a show that looked distinctive but of course with thenormal limitations of time and money We both favoured shooting anamorphic even though we werent able to screen the full widescreen in thefinal delivery We both felt that the lenses would give us great optical character even without thelandscape aspect I also really wanted to use my FlyLine cable cam system and Gremsy gimbal so thislead us toward using the smaller lighter Red epic camera We could crop in and not lose too muchresolution and also the high resolution gave us more framing options We settled on Kowa Prominarlenses which had a limited 4 lens set so the flexibility of the camera format and oversampling from 6Khelped us punch in closer when we needed to We also had limited options in the way of power and lighting in Rarotonga so we tried to get the newerDragon sensor for the Red through Dean Thomas at Imagezone Id hoped this would help balance thestrong contrast in Raro between a darker interiors and the sunny exteriors for day work with itrsquospotentially wide latitude sensor Over the course of the shoot our experiments proved fruitful The gimbal gave us a cost effectiveSteadicam style rig while also serving as a terrific stabilised remote head on jibs and rigs The cableCam created dynamic movement and the lenses always made the shots look interesting with terrificdistorted bokeh even if they were on the edge of sharpness at times The Red Dragon camera sensor was truly impressive holding highlights and I dont think any othercamera at the moment can beat it for latitude It is fairly low noise so our beach night shoots could beexposed just on the limits of our lighting capability and looked fantastic once graded up The 6K detail isbeautiful very cinema in feel For night exteriors in the islands we used one 4K HMI one m18 and two Area48 phosphor panels thatwere absolutely beautiful bounced We added to this my own Rotolight Anova bicolour LED and smallertungsten and kino fittings Judicious placement of fires by the very capable Art Dept provided abackground when there was none and occasionally we could blast the 4K straight out to sea to light upthe reef to give us some more depth even if it was just a line of crashing surf in the distance I was ably supported on the shoot by Gaffer John Bell and his team while Kirsten Green managed tohold focus when I was pushing the lenses as far as I could Grip Conrad Hosking provided some terrificlight-weight dolly and rig options in the islands which were so useful I ended up preferring them to thefull dolly most of the time back in New Zealand too We used a combination of pipe slider up to 5m in length and a short Silent Cat slider We used a light jibfor crane shots using a slimmed-down B camera on the gimbal operated by remote control with joystickor handwheels This rig also worked beautifully inverted on a hihat to shoot boat to boat The stability ofthe gimbal meant I could frame a shot of swimmers or an island and the camera would just hold theframe no matter what the camera boat was doing underneath it At one point we created a fun continuous panning shot in the jungle with 3 characters sitting around thecamera The gimbal was inverted on a hi hat and sat in the middle of the cast while the crew hid behindtrees as we remotely panned 4 or 5 revolutions Much more fun that trying to operate a normal head andstumble about amongst the cast The Kowa lenses we ended up with proved perfect for the material Theyre interesting and flare nicelybut are extremely light and small I could fit 3 of the 4 Kowas on to the gimbal without overloading it I

supplemented the Kowas with my own Lomography Petzval 85mm lens using an EF mount for the Redand I also at times used my Dog Schid Optiks Trump5838mm lenses when a big focus rack wasneeded The Trump has the option of using a drop-in Waterhouse aperture to mimic the ellipse ofanamorphic even though its a spherical lens This cuts in very well with true anamorphic shots We also got to experiment with shooting in very low light using the new A7S Sony camera We shot acouple of scenes one in candlelight and another in dim street light and this camera was very impressivein this use Most noticeably we had to put a torch on the actors marks at one point because it was to darkfor them to be seen Not a problem Irsquod expected to encounter in a normal drama shoot All in all this shoot was terrific fun and I think itll look really interesting We used a combination of dollyhandheld Easyrig gimbal cable-cam and crane to shoot the show with an emphasis on keeping thecamera alive as much as possible It was great fun getting back home to work for a change and dip my toes back into the industry after awhile away I can see that things are looking up in general with plenty of work on the way My onlythought to add to the future is that I could see that if things get busy there seemed to be very fewyounger camera people coming up I think long term there needs to be an emphasis on training newtalent and in particular emphasis needs to be placed on making being a camera assistant an attractiveoption for people getting into the industry Not to mention there seems to be a gap in Steadicamoperators and Focus Pullers emerging Something to watch Id like to thank the crew for all their time in helping to make Tatau the fun show it is and hope it allowseveryone another chance to go to Raro next year There are far worse places to shoot

(Photo above Kirsten Green amp Abby Mounter)

UPDATE ON APPLYING FOR ACCREDITATION

Applying for AccreditationWhat is accreditation

Accreditation is part of a framework within the NZCS that recognises excellence in cinematography andencourages the pursuit of that excellenceBased on three cornerstones accreditation is peer recognition accreditation recognises the skills notthe format and accreditation is open to any full member of the society

the format and accreditation is open to any full member of the society

To this end it is important for members who feel that they have reached a certain level in their craft toconsider applying for NZCS accreditation

Applications are available all year round on the NZCS website httpwwwnzcinecomapplication-for-accreditation

While the application process may seem onerous at first there is ample motivation and time to begin theprocess of applying with the application deadline not closing until May 31st each year

All areas of cinematography are open to accreditation and as accreditation recognises the skills and notthe format applications should not be limited to feature and television drama cinematographers aloneApplication requirements are straightforward However a comprehensive body of work is needed inorder to apply and only a cinematographerrsquos best work should be submitted

How do I apply for accreditation

There are three ways to begin the accreditation process within the NZCS by application by nominationand by invitation This article will concentrate on application whereby any full member can apply foraccreditation after three years membership of the society

There are four main parts to an accreditation application

1 Letters of endorsementEach application needs to be accompanied by letters of endorsement from two accreditedmembers of the NZCS only one of whom may be an accreditation committee member A list ofaccredited members can be found on the accredited members page of the website(httpwwwnzcinecomaccredited-members ) A list of accreditation committee members can befound on the website main page

2 A full and detailed CV (and website link if applicable)3 A showreel no longer than 10 minutes in duration4 Full copies of two complete projects be they features episodes andor documentaries If the

applicantrsquos main work is in other genres then the suggestion is 10x commercials 10x musicvideos 10x current affairs segments etc

The technical specifications of the video files to be submitted can be found on the accreditationapplication download

Complete applications along with the application fee of $275 must be lodged with the NZCS SecretaryPO Box 78 360 Grey Lynn Auckland 1245 no later than the 31st of May of any given year Incompleteapplications may not be accepted

httpwwwnzcinecomaccreditationpdf

Photograph below by Simon Riera Thom Burstyn receiving his accreditation certificate

supplemented the Kowas with my own Lomography Petzval 85mm lens using an EF mount for the Redand I also at times used my Dog Schid Optiks Trump5838mm lenses when a big focus rack wasneeded The Trump has the option of using a drop-in Waterhouse aperture to mimic the ellipse ofanamorphic even though its a spherical lens This cuts in very well with true anamorphic shots We also got to experiment with shooting in very low light using the new A7S Sony camera We shot acouple of scenes one in candlelight and another in dim street light and this camera was very impressivein this use Most noticeably we had to put a torch on the actors marks at one point because it was to darkfor them to be seen Not a problem Irsquod expected to encounter in a normal drama shoot All in all this shoot was terrific fun and I think itll look really interesting We used a combination of dollyhandheld Easyrig gimbal cable-cam and crane to shoot the show with an emphasis on keeping thecamera alive as much as possible It was great fun getting back home to work for a change and dip my toes back into the industry after awhile away I can see that things are looking up in general with plenty of work on the way My onlythought to add to the future is that I could see that if things get busy there seemed to be very fewyounger camera people coming up I think long term there needs to be an emphasis on training newtalent and in particular emphasis needs to be placed on making being a camera assistant an attractiveoption for people getting into the industry Not to mention there seems to be a gap in Steadicamoperators and Focus Pullers emerging Something to watch Id like to thank the crew for all their time in helping to make Tatau the fun show it is and hope it allowseveryone another chance to go to Raro next year There are far worse places to shoot

(Photo above Kirsten Green amp Abby Mounter)

UPDATE ON APPLYING FOR ACCREDITATION

Applying for AccreditationWhat is accreditation

Accreditation is part of a framework within the NZCS that recognises excellence in cinematography andencourages the pursuit of that excellenceBased on three cornerstones accreditation is peer recognition accreditation recognises the skills notthe format and accreditation is open to any full member of the society

the format and accreditation is open to any full member of the society

To this end it is important for members who feel that they have reached a certain level in their craft toconsider applying for NZCS accreditation

Applications are available all year round on the NZCS website httpwwwnzcinecomapplication-for-accreditation

While the application process may seem onerous at first there is ample motivation and time to begin theprocess of applying with the application deadline not closing until May 31st each year

All areas of cinematography are open to accreditation and as accreditation recognises the skills and notthe format applications should not be limited to feature and television drama cinematographers aloneApplication requirements are straightforward However a comprehensive body of work is needed inorder to apply and only a cinematographerrsquos best work should be submitted

How do I apply for accreditation

There are three ways to begin the accreditation process within the NZCS by application by nominationand by invitation This article will concentrate on application whereby any full member can apply foraccreditation after three years membership of the society

There are four main parts to an accreditation application

1 Letters of endorsementEach application needs to be accompanied by letters of endorsement from two accreditedmembers of the NZCS only one of whom may be an accreditation committee member A list ofaccredited members can be found on the accredited members page of the website(httpwwwnzcinecomaccredited-members ) A list of accreditation committee members can befound on the website main page

2 A full and detailed CV (and website link if applicable)3 A showreel no longer than 10 minutes in duration4 Full copies of two complete projects be they features episodes andor documentaries If the

applicantrsquos main work is in other genres then the suggestion is 10x commercials 10x musicvideos 10x current affairs segments etc

The technical specifications of the video files to be submitted can be found on the accreditationapplication download

Complete applications along with the application fee of $275 must be lodged with the NZCS SecretaryPO Box 78 360 Grey Lynn Auckland 1245 no later than the 31st of May of any given year Incompleteapplications may not be accepted

httpwwwnzcinecomaccreditationpdf

Photograph below by Simon Riera Thom Burstyn receiving his accreditation certificate

the format and accreditation is open to any full member of the society

To this end it is important for members who feel that they have reached a certain level in their craft toconsider applying for NZCS accreditation

Applications are available all year round on the NZCS website httpwwwnzcinecomapplication-for-accreditation

While the application process may seem onerous at first there is ample motivation and time to begin theprocess of applying with the application deadline not closing until May 31st each year

All areas of cinematography are open to accreditation and as accreditation recognises the skills and notthe format applications should not be limited to feature and television drama cinematographers aloneApplication requirements are straightforward However a comprehensive body of work is needed inorder to apply and only a cinematographerrsquos best work should be submitted

How do I apply for accreditation

There are three ways to begin the accreditation process within the NZCS by application by nominationand by invitation This article will concentrate on application whereby any full member can apply foraccreditation after three years membership of the society

There are four main parts to an accreditation application

1 Letters of endorsementEach application needs to be accompanied by letters of endorsement from two accreditedmembers of the NZCS only one of whom may be an accreditation committee member A list ofaccredited members can be found on the accredited members page of the website(httpwwwnzcinecomaccredited-members ) A list of accreditation committee members can befound on the website main page

2 A full and detailed CV (and website link if applicable)3 A showreel no longer than 10 minutes in duration4 Full copies of two complete projects be they features episodes andor documentaries If the

applicantrsquos main work is in other genres then the suggestion is 10x commercials 10x musicvideos 10x current affairs segments etc

The technical specifications of the video files to be submitted can be found on the accreditationapplication download

Complete applications along with the application fee of $275 must be lodged with the NZCS SecretaryPO Box 78 360 Grey Lynn Auckland 1245 no later than the 31st of May of any given year Incompleteapplications may not be accepted

httpwwwnzcinecomaccreditationpdf

Photograph below by Simon Riera Thom Burstyn receiving his accreditation certificate

REFLECTION ON THE TOLKIEN ERA with Richard Bluck

With the release of The Hobbit 3 in December 2014 the Tolkien era in the New Zealand film industry hascome to an end Beginning shooting in October 1999 with The Fellowship of the Ring there have beensix films made over the 14 years Countless hours of Behind the Scenes footage multiple DVD sets andExtended versions have kept the franchise alive with the huge fan base For Peter Jackson and the Wingnut family it has been an epic journey For the New Zealand filmindustry it has pushed us even further into the international arena as a viable film making country withgreat locations highly trained crew a substantial investment in infrastructure and our positive attitude tofilmmaking

Thirteen DOPrsquos have been involved in the shooting of the films and apart from Andrew Lesnie (heshould probably qualify as an honorary NZer) and Alex Funke who is now a New Zealander most ofthese were New Zealand Cinematographers We have pushed the boundaries in Motion Control Miniatures 3D Visual Effects Scale MoCo andHigh Frame Rates We have developed a wealth of knowledge and skilled technicians who have honedtheir crafts We should be proud of what we have achieved and where the journey has taken us Where to from here - for Wingnut only Peter knows - as an industry we have grown from the experienceand as long as we remain competitive we will be able to play on the international stage The local filmmakers have benefited from the Tolkien and international film projects with the education ofexperienced technicians access to equipment and facilities This is the work that keeps the industrygoing while local projects are developed and funded We are embracing all the latest technologies and actively developing new technologies But we stillhave to work on new models of filmmaking that allow New Zealand films to be developed financed anddistributed around the world Perhaps that is our greatest need at this point in time

Richard Bluck is a NZ Cinematographer who worked on the Lord Of The Rings trilogy and was 2nd UnitDOP on The Hobbit trilogy He is currently President of the NZCS

Photo below by Richard Bluck Crane landing on ridge above Earnslaw Burn South Island

IMAGEZONE SHARE SUCCESS AT THE NZ FILMAWARDS

Imagezone New Zealandrsquos premier technical services and film equipment rental company has been involved in thesuccess of many of the winners in the 2014 Rialto Channel New Zealand Film Awards also known as the Moas

Dean Thomas founder and Managing Director of the company offered his congratulations to all the nominees

ldquoWe are proud to have been of assistance to many of the fantastic films that were recognised in the awardsrdquo hesaid ldquoAs a young rental camera company we are thrilled that so many of our clients were strongly representedrdquo

These successes includeBest Cinematography Dave Garbett - Everything We Loved The Rialto Channel Best Film The Dark HorseBest Director James Napier Robertson - The Dark HorseBest Television Feature Consent The Louise Nicholas Story

Best Visual Effects George Zwier - The Dead LandsBest Documentary Editor Erebus Operation Overdue

ldquoOverall five of the films we supported won awards in 13 categoriesrdquo said Dean ldquoWe donrsquot want to take credit forthe success of these films but wersquod like to think we played a small part in getting them made on budget and with thelook the cinematographer wantedrdquo

Imagezone has built its reputation as a New Zealand owned and operated business that will roll up its sleeves and dowhatever it takes to meet its clientrsquos needs

ldquoWe understand that film making is a creative and collaborative process and we believe the film equipment rentalbusiness should follow suitrdquo said Dean ldquoWe consult very closely with our clients to ensure they get the visual impactthey are after and we also try to resolve any technical challenges that may arise pre-shoot We know how importantit is to get potential problems sorted before the director says lsquoactionrsquordquo

The company offers the very latest high-end camera video and data equipment rental plus production video assistfacilities and post production services but itrsquos their pre-production services and technical support that really makesthe difference

Dean explains ldquoWhen Imagezone collaborated with Dave Garbett to help establish a unique look for the filmlsquoEverything We Lovedrsquo we were able to marry the total camera package to the style he envisaged The resultingfilmic look was both unique and of a very high standard so we werenrsquot surprised to see Dave win a Moa forcinematographyrdquo

Dave Garbett is equally complimentary about Imagezone ldquoWe had some fairly serious budgetary restrictions on lsquoEverything We Lovedrsquo I felt sheepish about approachingDean but it wasnrsquot a problem After a couple of conversations we came up with a small simple highly effectivecamera package that packed a big punchrdquo ldquoMy experiences with Imagezone have always been about building a relationship between myself as a DOP and thecamera rental houserdquo continued Dave ldquoFor Everything We Lovedrsquo Imagezone tailor-made a kit that provided mewith the right tools to do visual justice to the script Their support was intrinsic to the success of this movierdquo Every film long or short poses its own unique challenges and Imagezone are able to customise their equipment tocope with both the rigors and creative needs of film making

ldquoIndustry legend Leon Narbey DoP for The Dead Lands had unique cinematography challenges when shooting thefilm He required both the camera and operator to be very close to stunt men during the epic hand to hand fightsequences where the actors were wielding taiaha In addition to supplying his main production camera we were ableto outfit him with a specialist light-weight camera that enabled him to get within the fight scenes The results speak forthemselvesrdquo said Dean

The challenge for both the New Zealand film industry and Imagezone is to build on recent successes With the newgovernment incentives coming into effect 2015 is already looking to be a great year and Dean and his team areexcited about what is to come

Below Dean Thomas and Dave Garbett

RON JOHANSEN PRESIDENT of ASC visits NZCS

A meeting of minds NZCS Committee Members Mark Lapwood ACS Murray Milne NZCS PaulRichards Donny Duncan Dave Cameron ACS and guest Peter Parnham with AustralianCinematographers Society President Ron Johansen ACS NZ Cinematographers Society PresidentRichard Bluck NZCS and NZCS Chairman Keviin Riley

Paul Lake Marketing Manager Mark Lapwood ACS Ron Johansen ACS and Wes Printz ServiceManager with the Phantom Flex at Panavision in Auckland

Chris McKenzie from Professional Lighting Services with Ron in front of the 100k Soft Sun

SHELLY JOHNSON ASC event for NZCS

Sometimes a working relationship flourishes into something rather more than a regular freelance job and if it does itmight do your career a world of good Especially if you are a cinematographer and the other guy is one of the firstemployees at ILM has an VFX Oscar on the shelf offers you Jurassic Park III and follows up with movies like TheWolfman Captain America The First Avenger and The Expendables 2This is the gist of the story told by American cinematographer Shelly Johnson ASC who spoke at an NZCS membergathering upstairs at the Horse and Trap in Auckland during January

Johnson was in Auckland shooting a TV Pilot Lumen with director Joe Johnston continuing a relationship that markstheir fifth project togetherJohnson clearly puts a lot of thought and care into how he works with the director and this has paid dividends on thescreen and in the form of repeat projects

When the relationship began on Jurassic Park III Johnson had the foresight to call the cameraman from theprevious project and asked him why he wasnt on this oneI will tell you exactly why came the reply because when you work with Joe you need a plan whether he hasgiven you notes or not - you need a planI had done a few little features and a lot of TV - probably 40 or 50 movies and pilots explains Johnson This was ahuge opportunity Everyday it got bigger and bigger just as you thought you were over the hump there was anothersequence I got to the end of reading the script and wondered how am I going to do this

He says he began by taking the movie apart breaking it up into bite-sized chunks that he could get his head aroundWhen movies get to a certain size you have to dissect them The big movies like Lord of the Rings - or whatever -work this way he notes adding that just because a production is big doesnt mean it is idealOn The Wolfman for instance he arrived some two weeks before principle photography - and that was only a weekafter the directorStill Johnson must have ended up developing a pretty convincing plan because that was some 14 years ago andthe projects he and Johnston have worked on together since have been challenging and sizeable as the clipsshown to the NZCS audience showed

He says Johnston is fun to work with but as you develop your plan you need to make it flexible This can makelighting a challenge because aside from a small wedge like a single slice out of a cake you need to be prepared toshoot in any direction without waiting for riggers to clamber around the grid repositioning lightsFlexibility also comes with extensive use of Technocranes which are a lot easier than repositioning dolly track if youare in a set say made of plaster rocks Johnson recalls in one smaller studio they even covered a Technocranewith plastic and built it into the set - apparently even at Shepperton space can be tight

Its all part of striving to do better and Johnson says a good director will always push their cinematographer It is very important not to fall victim to working in a comfortable place I think cinematography is one of those formsthat thrives when it is pushed to the limit whether the director does that or you do it for yourselfThe only way to push it to the limit is to do so from a uncomfortable place where you are not entirely sure of theresult - which was more of a risk on film but pretty much zero risk now with digital because with film you had to waitto see if it actually works

He admits staying focused on a long job isnt always easy but says communication is the key - something he says istoughest when it comes to operators There is a lot you want the operator to do on their own You want them to feel they have the freedom to do thingsbut if I say too much to an operator it will almost lock him up So much of what theyre doing is now

With subtle communication at the centre of good relationships perhaps it is no wonder he has the same operator ACand Gaffer in the US for 25 years although as a result of international productions like Captain America and TheWolfman both shot in the UK he has assembled a regular UK crew and now in New Zealand for the first time he isusing a Kiwi crew including NZCS member John Cavill as operator

NZCS thanks Shelly for his time talking with us and hopes both he and Joe Johnston had a great experienceshooting in New Zealand

(Photo below by Paul Richards)

REMEMBERING JOHN DAY

John Day passed away on 7 January 2015 while travelling in India John will be remembered by many for his humor infectious laugh kindness and creativity Johnrsquos his first job in the industry as a cameraman was in 1968 at NZBC He then went on to free-lance in the late 70rsquos and worked on a trio of movies as focus puller includingldquoBeyond Reasonable Doubtrdquo and ldquoGoodbye Pork Pierdquo He worked as camera operator on ldquoThe Scarecrowrdquo ldquoDesperate Remediesrdquo and all three ldquoLord Of TheRingsrdquoMany will remember John as a pioneer in the early days of commercial production houses setting upMatte-Box Films in 1980 with Trish Downie It was through Matte-Box Films John produced and directed many award-winning commercialsand music videos including the innovative effects-laden video for Peking Manexploring visual options which were only beginning to be used in the 80rsquos In 1988 he co-directed the Herbs documentary ldquoThe Power Of Music - Te Kaha o Te Waiatardquowith Lee Tamahori which remains an iconic part of New Zealand music documentary history Aside from his commercials and documentary work John also directed a number of television

programmes

Share

Thirteen DOPrsquos have been involved in the shooting of the films and apart from Andrew Lesnie (heshould probably qualify as an honorary NZer) and Alex Funke who is now a New Zealander most ofthese were New Zealand Cinematographers We have pushed the boundaries in Motion Control Miniatures 3D Visual Effects Scale MoCo andHigh Frame Rates We have developed a wealth of knowledge and skilled technicians who have honedtheir crafts We should be proud of what we have achieved and where the journey has taken us Where to from here - for Wingnut only Peter knows - as an industry we have grown from the experienceand as long as we remain competitive we will be able to play on the international stage The local filmmakers have benefited from the Tolkien and international film projects with the education ofexperienced technicians access to equipment and facilities This is the work that keeps the industrygoing while local projects are developed and funded We are embracing all the latest technologies and actively developing new technologies But we stillhave to work on new models of filmmaking that allow New Zealand films to be developed financed anddistributed around the world Perhaps that is our greatest need at this point in time

Richard Bluck is a NZ Cinematographer who worked on the Lord Of The Rings trilogy and was 2nd UnitDOP on The Hobbit trilogy He is currently President of the NZCS

Photo below by Richard Bluck Crane landing on ridge above Earnslaw Burn South Island

IMAGEZONE SHARE SUCCESS AT THE NZ FILMAWARDS

Imagezone New Zealandrsquos premier technical services and film equipment rental company has been involved in thesuccess of many of the winners in the 2014 Rialto Channel New Zealand Film Awards also known as the Moas

Dean Thomas founder and Managing Director of the company offered his congratulations to all the nominees

ldquoWe are proud to have been of assistance to many of the fantastic films that were recognised in the awardsrdquo hesaid ldquoAs a young rental camera company we are thrilled that so many of our clients were strongly representedrdquo

These successes includeBest Cinematography Dave Garbett - Everything We Loved The Rialto Channel Best Film The Dark HorseBest Director James Napier Robertson - The Dark HorseBest Television Feature Consent The Louise Nicholas Story

Best Visual Effects George Zwier - The Dead LandsBest Documentary Editor Erebus Operation Overdue

ldquoOverall five of the films we supported won awards in 13 categoriesrdquo said Dean ldquoWe donrsquot want to take credit forthe success of these films but wersquod like to think we played a small part in getting them made on budget and with thelook the cinematographer wantedrdquo

Imagezone has built its reputation as a New Zealand owned and operated business that will roll up its sleeves and dowhatever it takes to meet its clientrsquos needs

ldquoWe understand that film making is a creative and collaborative process and we believe the film equipment rentalbusiness should follow suitrdquo said Dean ldquoWe consult very closely with our clients to ensure they get the visual impactthey are after and we also try to resolve any technical challenges that may arise pre-shoot We know how importantit is to get potential problems sorted before the director says lsquoactionrsquordquo

The company offers the very latest high-end camera video and data equipment rental plus production video assistfacilities and post production services but itrsquos their pre-production services and technical support that really makesthe difference

Dean explains ldquoWhen Imagezone collaborated with Dave Garbett to help establish a unique look for the filmlsquoEverything We Lovedrsquo we were able to marry the total camera package to the style he envisaged The resultingfilmic look was both unique and of a very high standard so we werenrsquot surprised to see Dave win a Moa forcinematographyrdquo

Dave Garbett is equally complimentary about Imagezone ldquoWe had some fairly serious budgetary restrictions on lsquoEverything We Lovedrsquo I felt sheepish about approachingDean but it wasnrsquot a problem After a couple of conversations we came up with a small simple highly effectivecamera package that packed a big punchrdquo ldquoMy experiences with Imagezone have always been about building a relationship between myself as a DOP and thecamera rental houserdquo continued Dave ldquoFor Everything We Lovedrsquo Imagezone tailor-made a kit that provided mewith the right tools to do visual justice to the script Their support was intrinsic to the success of this movierdquo Every film long or short poses its own unique challenges and Imagezone are able to customise their equipment tocope with both the rigors and creative needs of film making

ldquoIndustry legend Leon Narbey DoP for The Dead Lands had unique cinematography challenges when shooting thefilm He required both the camera and operator to be very close to stunt men during the epic hand to hand fightsequences where the actors were wielding taiaha In addition to supplying his main production camera we were ableto outfit him with a specialist light-weight camera that enabled him to get within the fight scenes The results speak forthemselvesrdquo said Dean

The challenge for both the New Zealand film industry and Imagezone is to build on recent successes With the newgovernment incentives coming into effect 2015 is already looking to be a great year and Dean and his team areexcited about what is to come

Below Dean Thomas and Dave Garbett

RON JOHANSEN PRESIDENT of ASC visits NZCS

A meeting of minds NZCS Committee Members Mark Lapwood ACS Murray Milne NZCS PaulRichards Donny Duncan Dave Cameron ACS and guest Peter Parnham with AustralianCinematographers Society President Ron Johansen ACS NZ Cinematographers Society PresidentRichard Bluck NZCS and NZCS Chairman Keviin Riley

Paul Lake Marketing Manager Mark Lapwood ACS Ron Johansen ACS and Wes Printz ServiceManager with the Phantom Flex at Panavision in Auckland

Chris McKenzie from Professional Lighting Services with Ron in front of the 100k Soft Sun

SHELLY JOHNSON ASC event for NZCS

Sometimes a working relationship flourishes into something rather more than a regular freelance job and if it does itmight do your career a world of good Especially if you are a cinematographer and the other guy is one of the firstemployees at ILM has an VFX Oscar on the shelf offers you Jurassic Park III and follows up with movies like TheWolfman Captain America The First Avenger and The Expendables 2This is the gist of the story told by American cinematographer Shelly Johnson ASC who spoke at an NZCS membergathering upstairs at the Horse and Trap in Auckland during January

Johnson was in Auckland shooting a TV Pilot Lumen with director Joe Johnston continuing a relationship that markstheir fifth project togetherJohnson clearly puts a lot of thought and care into how he works with the director and this has paid dividends on thescreen and in the form of repeat projects

When the relationship began on Jurassic Park III Johnson had the foresight to call the cameraman from theprevious project and asked him why he wasnt on this oneI will tell you exactly why came the reply because when you work with Joe you need a plan whether he hasgiven you notes or not - you need a planI had done a few little features and a lot of TV - probably 40 or 50 movies and pilots explains Johnson This was ahuge opportunity Everyday it got bigger and bigger just as you thought you were over the hump there was anothersequence I got to the end of reading the script and wondered how am I going to do this

He says he began by taking the movie apart breaking it up into bite-sized chunks that he could get his head aroundWhen movies get to a certain size you have to dissect them The big movies like Lord of the Rings - or whatever -work this way he notes adding that just because a production is big doesnt mean it is idealOn The Wolfman for instance he arrived some two weeks before principle photography - and that was only a weekafter the directorStill Johnson must have ended up developing a pretty convincing plan because that was some 14 years ago andthe projects he and Johnston have worked on together since have been challenging and sizeable as the clipsshown to the NZCS audience showed

He says Johnston is fun to work with but as you develop your plan you need to make it flexible This can makelighting a challenge because aside from a small wedge like a single slice out of a cake you need to be prepared toshoot in any direction without waiting for riggers to clamber around the grid repositioning lightsFlexibility also comes with extensive use of Technocranes which are a lot easier than repositioning dolly track if youare in a set say made of plaster rocks Johnson recalls in one smaller studio they even covered a Technocranewith plastic and built it into the set - apparently even at Shepperton space can be tight

Its all part of striving to do better and Johnson says a good director will always push their cinematographer It is very important not to fall victim to working in a comfortable place I think cinematography is one of those formsthat thrives when it is pushed to the limit whether the director does that or you do it for yourselfThe only way to push it to the limit is to do so from a uncomfortable place where you are not entirely sure of theresult - which was more of a risk on film but pretty much zero risk now with digital because with film you had to waitto see if it actually works

He admits staying focused on a long job isnt always easy but says communication is the key - something he says istoughest when it comes to operators There is a lot you want the operator to do on their own You want them to feel they have the freedom to do thingsbut if I say too much to an operator it will almost lock him up So much of what theyre doing is now

With subtle communication at the centre of good relationships perhaps it is no wonder he has the same operator ACand Gaffer in the US for 25 years although as a result of international productions like Captain America and TheWolfman both shot in the UK he has assembled a regular UK crew and now in New Zealand for the first time he isusing a Kiwi crew including NZCS member John Cavill as operator

NZCS thanks Shelly for his time talking with us and hopes both he and Joe Johnston had a great experienceshooting in New Zealand

(Photo below by Paul Richards)

REMEMBERING JOHN DAY

John Day passed away on 7 January 2015 while travelling in India John will be remembered by many for his humor infectious laugh kindness and creativity Johnrsquos his first job in the industry as a cameraman was in 1968 at NZBC He then went on to free-lance in the late 70rsquos and worked on a trio of movies as focus puller includingldquoBeyond Reasonable Doubtrdquo and ldquoGoodbye Pork Pierdquo He worked as camera operator on ldquoThe Scarecrowrdquo ldquoDesperate Remediesrdquo and all three ldquoLord Of TheRingsrdquoMany will remember John as a pioneer in the early days of commercial production houses setting upMatte-Box Films in 1980 with Trish Downie It was through Matte-Box Films John produced and directed many award-winning commercialsand music videos including the innovative effects-laden video for Peking Manexploring visual options which were only beginning to be used in the 80rsquos In 1988 he co-directed the Herbs documentary ldquoThe Power Of Music - Te Kaha o Te Waiatardquowith Lee Tamahori which remains an iconic part of New Zealand music documentary history Aside from his commercials and documentary work John also directed a number of television

programmes

Share

Best Visual Effects George Zwier - The Dead LandsBest Documentary Editor Erebus Operation Overdue

ldquoOverall five of the films we supported won awards in 13 categoriesrdquo said Dean ldquoWe donrsquot want to take credit forthe success of these films but wersquod like to think we played a small part in getting them made on budget and with thelook the cinematographer wantedrdquo

Imagezone has built its reputation as a New Zealand owned and operated business that will roll up its sleeves and dowhatever it takes to meet its clientrsquos needs

ldquoWe understand that film making is a creative and collaborative process and we believe the film equipment rentalbusiness should follow suitrdquo said Dean ldquoWe consult very closely with our clients to ensure they get the visual impactthey are after and we also try to resolve any technical challenges that may arise pre-shoot We know how importantit is to get potential problems sorted before the director says lsquoactionrsquordquo

The company offers the very latest high-end camera video and data equipment rental plus production video assistfacilities and post production services but itrsquos their pre-production services and technical support that really makesthe difference

Dean explains ldquoWhen Imagezone collaborated with Dave Garbett to help establish a unique look for the filmlsquoEverything We Lovedrsquo we were able to marry the total camera package to the style he envisaged The resultingfilmic look was both unique and of a very high standard so we werenrsquot surprised to see Dave win a Moa forcinematographyrdquo

Dave Garbett is equally complimentary about Imagezone ldquoWe had some fairly serious budgetary restrictions on lsquoEverything We Lovedrsquo I felt sheepish about approachingDean but it wasnrsquot a problem After a couple of conversations we came up with a small simple highly effectivecamera package that packed a big punchrdquo ldquoMy experiences with Imagezone have always been about building a relationship between myself as a DOP and thecamera rental houserdquo continued Dave ldquoFor Everything We Lovedrsquo Imagezone tailor-made a kit that provided mewith the right tools to do visual justice to the script Their support was intrinsic to the success of this movierdquo Every film long or short poses its own unique challenges and Imagezone are able to customise their equipment tocope with both the rigors and creative needs of film making

ldquoIndustry legend Leon Narbey DoP for The Dead Lands had unique cinematography challenges when shooting thefilm He required both the camera and operator to be very close to stunt men during the epic hand to hand fightsequences where the actors were wielding taiaha In addition to supplying his main production camera we were ableto outfit him with a specialist light-weight camera that enabled him to get within the fight scenes The results speak forthemselvesrdquo said Dean

The challenge for both the New Zealand film industry and Imagezone is to build on recent successes With the newgovernment incentives coming into effect 2015 is already looking to be a great year and Dean and his team areexcited about what is to come

Below Dean Thomas and Dave Garbett

RON JOHANSEN PRESIDENT of ASC visits NZCS

A meeting of minds NZCS Committee Members Mark Lapwood ACS Murray Milne NZCS PaulRichards Donny Duncan Dave Cameron ACS and guest Peter Parnham with AustralianCinematographers Society President Ron Johansen ACS NZ Cinematographers Society PresidentRichard Bluck NZCS and NZCS Chairman Keviin Riley

Paul Lake Marketing Manager Mark Lapwood ACS Ron Johansen ACS and Wes Printz ServiceManager with the Phantom Flex at Panavision in Auckland

Chris McKenzie from Professional Lighting Services with Ron in front of the 100k Soft Sun

SHELLY JOHNSON ASC event for NZCS

Sometimes a working relationship flourishes into something rather more than a regular freelance job and if it does itmight do your career a world of good Especially if you are a cinematographer and the other guy is one of the firstemployees at ILM has an VFX Oscar on the shelf offers you Jurassic Park III and follows up with movies like TheWolfman Captain America The First Avenger and The Expendables 2This is the gist of the story told by American cinematographer Shelly Johnson ASC who spoke at an NZCS membergathering upstairs at the Horse and Trap in Auckland during January

Johnson was in Auckland shooting a TV Pilot Lumen with director Joe Johnston continuing a relationship that markstheir fifth project togetherJohnson clearly puts a lot of thought and care into how he works with the director and this has paid dividends on thescreen and in the form of repeat projects

When the relationship began on Jurassic Park III Johnson had the foresight to call the cameraman from theprevious project and asked him why he wasnt on this oneI will tell you exactly why came the reply because when you work with Joe you need a plan whether he hasgiven you notes or not - you need a planI had done a few little features and a lot of TV - probably 40 or 50 movies and pilots explains Johnson This was ahuge opportunity Everyday it got bigger and bigger just as you thought you were over the hump there was anothersequence I got to the end of reading the script and wondered how am I going to do this

He says he began by taking the movie apart breaking it up into bite-sized chunks that he could get his head aroundWhen movies get to a certain size you have to dissect them The big movies like Lord of the Rings - or whatever -work this way he notes adding that just because a production is big doesnt mean it is idealOn The Wolfman for instance he arrived some two weeks before principle photography - and that was only a weekafter the directorStill Johnson must have ended up developing a pretty convincing plan because that was some 14 years ago andthe projects he and Johnston have worked on together since have been challenging and sizeable as the clipsshown to the NZCS audience showed

He says Johnston is fun to work with but as you develop your plan you need to make it flexible This can makelighting a challenge because aside from a small wedge like a single slice out of a cake you need to be prepared toshoot in any direction without waiting for riggers to clamber around the grid repositioning lightsFlexibility also comes with extensive use of Technocranes which are a lot easier than repositioning dolly track if youare in a set say made of plaster rocks Johnson recalls in one smaller studio they even covered a Technocranewith plastic and built it into the set - apparently even at Shepperton space can be tight

Its all part of striving to do better and Johnson says a good director will always push their cinematographer It is very important not to fall victim to working in a comfortable place I think cinematography is one of those formsthat thrives when it is pushed to the limit whether the director does that or you do it for yourselfThe only way to push it to the limit is to do so from a uncomfortable place where you are not entirely sure of theresult - which was more of a risk on film but pretty much zero risk now with digital because with film you had to waitto see if it actually works

He admits staying focused on a long job isnt always easy but says communication is the key - something he says istoughest when it comes to operators There is a lot you want the operator to do on their own You want them to feel they have the freedom to do thingsbut if I say too much to an operator it will almost lock him up So much of what theyre doing is now

With subtle communication at the centre of good relationships perhaps it is no wonder he has the same operator ACand Gaffer in the US for 25 years although as a result of international productions like Captain America and TheWolfman both shot in the UK he has assembled a regular UK crew and now in New Zealand for the first time he isusing a Kiwi crew including NZCS member John Cavill as operator

NZCS thanks Shelly for his time talking with us and hopes both he and Joe Johnston had a great experienceshooting in New Zealand

(Photo below by Paul Richards)

REMEMBERING JOHN DAY

John Day passed away on 7 January 2015 while travelling in India John will be remembered by many for his humor infectious laugh kindness and creativity Johnrsquos his first job in the industry as a cameraman was in 1968 at NZBC He then went on to free-lance in the late 70rsquos and worked on a trio of movies as focus puller includingldquoBeyond Reasonable Doubtrdquo and ldquoGoodbye Pork Pierdquo He worked as camera operator on ldquoThe Scarecrowrdquo ldquoDesperate Remediesrdquo and all three ldquoLord Of TheRingsrdquoMany will remember John as a pioneer in the early days of commercial production houses setting upMatte-Box Films in 1980 with Trish Downie It was through Matte-Box Films John produced and directed many award-winning commercialsand music videos including the innovative effects-laden video for Peking Manexploring visual options which were only beginning to be used in the 80rsquos In 1988 he co-directed the Herbs documentary ldquoThe Power Of Music - Te Kaha o Te Waiatardquowith Lee Tamahori which remains an iconic part of New Zealand music documentary history Aside from his commercials and documentary work John also directed a number of television

programmes

Share

RON JOHANSEN PRESIDENT of ASC visits NZCS

A meeting of minds NZCS Committee Members Mark Lapwood ACS Murray Milne NZCS PaulRichards Donny Duncan Dave Cameron ACS and guest Peter Parnham with AustralianCinematographers Society President Ron Johansen ACS NZ Cinematographers Society PresidentRichard Bluck NZCS and NZCS Chairman Keviin Riley

Paul Lake Marketing Manager Mark Lapwood ACS Ron Johansen ACS and Wes Printz ServiceManager with the Phantom Flex at Panavision in Auckland

Chris McKenzie from Professional Lighting Services with Ron in front of the 100k Soft Sun

SHELLY JOHNSON ASC event for NZCS

Sometimes a working relationship flourishes into something rather more than a regular freelance job and if it does itmight do your career a world of good Especially if you are a cinematographer and the other guy is one of the firstemployees at ILM has an VFX Oscar on the shelf offers you Jurassic Park III and follows up with movies like TheWolfman Captain America The First Avenger and The Expendables 2This is the gist of the story told by American cinematographer Shelly Johnson ASC who spoke at an NZCS membergathering upstairs at the Horse and Trap in Auckland during January

Johnson was in Auckland shooting a TV Pilot Lumen with director Joe Johnston continuing a relationship that markstheir fifth project togetherJohnson clearly puts a lot of thought and care into how he works with the director and this has paid dividends on thescreen and in the form of repeat projects

When the relationship began on Jurassic Park III Johnson had the foresight to call the cameraman from theprevious project and asked him why he wasnt on this oneI will tell you exactly why came the reply because when you work with Joe you need a plan whether he hasgiven you notes or not - you need a planI had done a few little features and a lot of TV - probably 40 or 50 movies and pilots explains Johnson This was ahuge opportunity Everyday it got bigger and bigger just as you thought you were over the hump there was anothersequence I got to the end of reading the script and wondered how am I going to do this

He says he began by taking the movie apart breaking it up into bite-sized chunks that he could get his head aroundWhen movies get to a certain size you have to dissect them The big movies like Lord of the Rings - or whatever -work this way he notes adding that just because a production is big doesnt mean it is idealOn The Wolfman for instance he arrived some two weeks before principle photography - and that was only a weekafter the directorStill Johnson must have ended up developing a pretty convincing plan because that was some 14 years ago andthe projects he and Johnston have worked on together since have been challenging and sizeable as the clipsshown to the NZCS audience showed

He says Johnston is fun to work with but as you develop your plan you need to make it flexible This can makelighting a challenge because aside from a small wedge like a single slice out of a cake you need to be prepared toshoot in any direction without waiting for riggers to clamber around the grid repositioning lightsFlexibility also comes with extensive use of Technocranes which are a lot easier than repositioning dolly track if youare in a set say made of plaster rocks Johnson recalls in one smaller studio they even covered a Technocranewith plastic and built it into the set - apparently even at Shepperton space can be tight

Its all part of striving to do better and Johnson says a good director will always push their cinematographer It is very important not to fall victim to working in a comfortable place I think cinematography is one of those formsthat thrives when it is pushed to the limit whether the director does that or you do it for yourselfThe only way to push it to the limit is to do so from a uncomfortable place where you are not entirely sure of theresult - which was more of a risk on film but pretty much zero risk now with digital because with film you had to waitto see if it actually works

He admits staying focused on a long job isnt always easy but says communication is the key - something he says istoughest when it comes to operators There is a lot you want the operator to do on their own You want them to feel they have the freedom to do thingsbut if I say too much to an operator it will almost lock him up So much of what theyre doing is now

With subtle communication at the centre of good relationships perhaps it is no wonder he has the same operator ACand Gaffer in the US for 25 years although as a result of international productions like Captain America and TheWolfman both shot in the UK he has assembled a regular UK crew and now in New Zealand for the first time he isusing a Kiwi crew including NZCS member John Cavill as operator

NZCS thanks Shelly for his time talking with us and hopes both he and Joe Johnston had a great experienceshooting in New Zealand

(Photo below by Paul Richards)

REMEMBERING JOHN DAY

John Day passed away on 7 January 2015 while travelling in India John will be remembered by many for his humor infectious laugh kindness and creativity Johnrsquos his first job in the industry as a cameraman was in 1968 at NZBC He then went on to free-lance in the late 70rsquos and worked on a trio of movies as focus puller includingldquoBeyond Reasonable Doubtrdquo and ldquoGoodbye Pork Pierdquo He worked as camera operator on ldquoThe Scarecrowrdquo ldquoDesperate Remediesrdquo and all three ldquoLord Of TheRingsrdquoMany will remember John as a pioneer in the early days of commercial production houses setting upMatte-Box Films in 1980 with Trish Downie It was through Matte-Box Films John produced and directed many award-winning commercialsand music videos including the innovative effects-laden video for Peking Manexploring visual options which were only beginning to be used in the 80rsquos In 1988 he co-directed the Herbs documentary ldquoThe Power Of Music - Te Kaha o Te Waiatardquowith Lee Tamahori which remains an iconic part of New Zealand music documentary history Aside from his commercials and documentary work John also directed a number of television

programmes

Share

A meeting of minds NZCS Committee Members Mark Lapwood ACS Murray Milne NZCS PaulRichards Donny Duncan Dave Cameron ACS and guest Peter Parnham with AustralianCinematographers Society President Ron Johansen ACS NZ Cinematographers Society PresidentRichard Bluck NZCS and NZCS Chairman Keviin Riley

Paul Lake Marketing Manager Mark Lapwood ACS Ron Johansen ACS and Wes Printz ServiceManager with the Phantom Flex at Panavision in Auckland

Chris McKenzie from Professional Lighting Services with Ron in front of the 100k Soft Sun

SHELLY JOHNSON ASC event for NZCS

Sometimes a working relationship flourishes into something rather more than a regular freelance job and if it does itmight do your career a world of good Especially if you are a cinematographer and the other guy is one of the firstemployees at ILM has an VFX Oscar on the shelf offers you Jurassic Park III and follows up with movies like TheWolfman Captain America The First Avenger and The Expendables 2This is the gist of the story told by American cinematographer Shelly Johnson ASC who spoke at an NZCS membergathering upstairs at the Horse and Trap in Auckland during January

Johnson was in Auckland shooting a TV Pilot Lumen with director Joe Johnston continuing a relationship that markstheir fifth project togetherJohnson clearly puts a lot of thought and care into how he works with the director and this has paid dividends on thescreen and in the form of repeat projects

When the relationship began on Jurassic Park III Johnson had the foresight to call the cameraman from theprevious project and asked him why he wasnt on this oneI will tell you exactly why came the reply because when you work with Joe you need a plan whether he hasgiven you notes or not - you need a planI had done a few little features and a lot of TV - probably 40 or 50 movies and pilots explains Johnson This was ahuge opportunity Everyday it got bigger and bigger just as you thought you were over the hump there was anothersequence I got to the end of reading the script and wondered how am I going to do this

He says he began by taking the movie apart breaking it up into bite-sized chunks that he could get his head aroundWhen movies get to a certain size you have to dissect them The big movies like Lord of the Rings - or whatever -work this way he notes adding that just because a production is big doesnt mean it is idealOn The Wolfman for instance he arrived some two weeks before principle photography - and that was only a weekafter the directorStill Johnson must have ended up developing a pretty convincing plan because that was some 14 years ago andthe projects he and Johnston have worked on together since have been challenging and sizeable as the clipsshown to the NZCS audience showed

He says Johnston is fun to work with but as you develop your plan you need to make it flexible This can makelighting a challenge because aside from a small wedge like a single slice out of a cake you need to be prepared toshoot in any direction without waiting for riggers to clamber around the grid repositioning lightsFlexibility also comes with extensive use of Technocranes which are a lot easier than repositioning dolly track if youare in a set say made of plaster rocks Johnson recalls in one smaller studio they even covered a Technocranewith plastic and built it into the set - apparently even at Shepperton space can be tight

Its all part of striving to do better and Johnson says a good director will always push their cinematographer It is very important not to fall victim to working in a comfortable place I think cinematography is one of those formsthat thrives when it is pushed to the limit whether the director does that or you do it for yourselfThe only way to push it to the limit is to do so from a uncomfortable place where you are not entirely sure of theresult - which was more of a risk on film but pretty much zero risk now with digital because with film you had to waitto see if it actually works

He admits staying focused on a long job isnt always easy but says communication is the key - something he says istoughest when it comes to operators There is a lot you want the operator to do on their own You want them to feel they have the freedom to do thingsbut if I say too much to an operator it will almost lock him up So much of what theyre doing is now

With subtle communication at the centre of good relationships perhaps it is no wonder he has the same operator ACand Gaffer in the US for 25 years although as a result of international productions like Captain America and TheWolfman both shot in the UK he has assembled a regular UK crew and now in New Zealand for the first time he isusing a Kiwi crew including NZCS member John Cavill as operator

NZCS thanks Shelly for his time talking with us and hopes both he and Joe Johnston had a great experienceshooting in New Zealand

(Photo below by Paul Richards)

REMEMBERING JOHN DAY

John Day passed away on 7 January 2015 while travelling in India John will be remembered by many for his humor infectious laugh kindness and creativity Johnrsquos his first job in the industry as a cameraman was in 1968 at NZBC He then went on to free-lance in the late 70rsquos and worked on a trio of movies as focus puller includingldquoBeyond Reasonable Doubtrdquo and ldquoGoodbye Pork Pierdquo He worked as camera operator on ldquoThe Scarecrowrdquo ldquoDesperate Remediesrdquo and all three ldquoLord Of TheRingsrdquoMany will remember John as a pioneer in the early days of commercial production houses setting upMatte-Box Films in 1980 with Trish Downie It was through Matte-Box Films John produced and directed many award-winning commercialsand music videos including the innovative effects-laden video for Peking Manexploring visual options which were only beginning to be used in the 80rsquos In 1988 he co-directed the Herbs documentary ldquoThe Power Of Music - Te Kaha o Te Waiatardquowith Lee Tamahori which remains an iconic part of New Zealand music documentary history Aside from his commercials and documentary work John also directed a number of television

programmes

Share

Chris McKenzie from Professional Lighting Services with Ron in front of the 100k Soft Sun

SHELLY JOHNSON ASC event for NZCS

Sometimes a working relationship flourishes into something rather more than a regular freelance job and if it does itmight do your career a world of good Especially if you are a cinematographer and the other guy is one of the firstemployees at ILM has an VFX Oscar on the shelf offers you Jurassic Park III and follows up with movies like TheWolfman Captain America The First Avenger and The Expendables 2This is the gist of the story told by American cinematographer Shelly Johnson ASC who spoke at an NZCS membergathering upstairs at the Horse and Trap in Auckland during January

Johnson was in Auckland shooting a TV Pilot Lumen with director Joe Johnston continuing a relationship that markstheir fifth project togetherJohnson clearly puts a lot of thought and care into how he works with the director and this has paid dividends on thescreen and in the form of repeat projects

When the relationship began on Jurassic Park III Johnson had the foresight to call the cameraman from theprevious project and asked him why he wasnt on this oneI will tell you exactly why came the reply because when you work with Joe you need a plan whether he hasgiven you notes or not - you need a planI had done a few little features and a lot of TV - probably 40 or 50 movies and pilots explains Johnson This was ahuge opportunity Everyday it got bigger and bigger just as you thought you were over the hump there was anothersequence I got to the end of reading the script and wondered how am I going to do this

He says he began by taking the movie apart breaking it up into bite-sized chunks that he could get his head aroundWhen movies get to a certain size you have to dissect them The big movies like Lord of the Rings - or whatever -work this way he notes adding that just because a production is big doesnt mean it is idealOn The Wolfman for instance he arrived some two weeks before principle photography - and that was only a weekafter the directorStill Johnson must have ended up developing a pretty convincing plan because that was some 14 years ago andthe projects he and Johnston have worked on together since have been challenging and sizeable as the clipsshown to the NZCS audience showed

He says Johnston is fun to work with but as you develop your plan you need to make it flexible This can makelighting a challenge because aside from a small wedge like a single slice out of a cake you need to be prepared toshoot in any direction without waiting for riggers to clamber around the grid repositioning lightsFlexibility also comes with extensive use of Technocranes which are a lot easier than repositioning dolly track if youare in a set say made of plaster rocks Johnson recalls in one smaller studio they even covered a Technocranewith plastic and built it into the set - apparently even at Shepperton space can be tight

Its all part of striving to do better and Johnson says a good director will always push their cinematographer It is very important not to fall victim to working in a comfortable place I think cinematography is one of those formsthat thrives when it is pushed to the limit whether the director does that or you do it for yourselfThe only way to push it to the limit is to do so from a uncomfortable place where you are not entirely sure of theresult - which was more of a risk on film but pretty much zero risk now with digital because with film you had to waitto see if it actually works

He admits staying focused on a long job isnt always easy but says communication is the key - something he says istoughest when it comes to operators There is a lot you want the operator to do on their own You want them to feel they have the freedom to do thingsbut if I say too much to an operator it will almost lock him up So much of what theyre doing is now

With subtle communication at the centre of good relationships perhaps it is no wonder he has the same operator ACand Gaffer in the US for 25 years although as a result of international productions like Captain America and TheWolfman both shot in the UK he has assembled a regular UK crew and now in New Zealand for the first time he isusing a Kiwi crew including NZCS member John Cavill as operator

NZCS thanks Shelly for his time talking with us and hopes both he and Joe Johnston had a great experienceshooting in New Zealand

(Photo below by Paul Richards)

REMEMBERING JOHN DAY

John Day passed away on 7 January 2015 while travelling in India John will be remembered by many for his humor infectious laugh kindness and creativity Johnrsquos his first job in the industry as a cameraman was in 1968 at NZBC He then went on to free-lance in the late 70rsquos and worked on a trio of movies as focus puller includingldquoBeyond Reasonable Doubtrdquo and ldquoGoodbye Pork Pierdquo He worked as camera operator on ldquoThe Scarecrowrdquo ldquoDesperate Remediesrdquo and all three ldquoLord Of TheRingsrdquoMany will remember John as a pioneer in the early days of commercial production houses setting upMatte-Box Films in 1980 with Trish Downie It was through Matte-Box Films John produced and directed many award-winning commercialsand music videos including the innovative effects-laden video for Peking Manexploring visual options which were only beginning to be used in the 80rsquos In 1988 he co-directed the Herbs documentary ldquoThe Power Of Music - Te Kaha o Te Waiatardquowith Lee Tamahori which remains an iconic part of New Zealand music documentary history Aside from his commercials and documentary work John also directed a number of television

programmes

Share

Its all part of striving to do better and Johnson says a good director will always push their cinematographer It is very important not to fall victim to working in a comfortable place I think cinematography is one of those formsthat thrives when it is pushed to the limit whether the director does that or you do it for yourselfThe only way to push it to the limit is to do so from a uncomfortable place where you are not entirely sure of theresult - which was more of a risk on film but pretty much zero risk now with digital because with film you had to waitto see if it actually works

He admits staying focused on a long job isnt always easy but says communication is the key - something he says istoughest when it comes to operators There is a lot you want the operator to do on their own You want them to feel they have the freedom to do thingsbut if I say too much to an operator it will almost lock him up So much of what theyre doing is now

With subtle communication at the centre of good relationships perhaps it is no wonder he has the same operator ACand Gaffer in the US for 25 years although as a result of international productions like Captain America and TheWolfman both shot in the UK he has assembled a regular UK crew and now in New Zealand for the first time he isusing a Kiwi crew including NZCS member John Cavill as operator

NZCS thanks Shelly for his time talking with us and hopes both he and Joe Johnston had a great experienceshooting in New Zealand

(Photo below by Paul Richards)

REMEMBERING JOHN DAY

John Day passed away on 7 January 2015 while travelling in India John will be remembered by many for his humor infectious laugh kindness and creativity Johnrsquos his first job in the industry as a cameraman was in 1968 at NZBC He then went on to free-lance in the late 70rsquos and worked on a trio of movies as focus puller includingldquoBeyond Reasonable Doubtrdquo and ldquoGoodbye Pork Pierdquo He worked as camera operator on ldquoThe Scarecrowrdquo ldquoDesperate Remediesrdquo and all three ldquoLord Of TheRingsrdquoMany will remember John as a pioneer in the early days of commercial production houses setting upMatte-Box Films in 1980 with Trish Downie It was through Matte-Box Films John produced and directed many award-winning commercialsand music videos including the innovative effects-laden video for Peking Manexploring visual options which were only beginning to be used in the 80rsquos In 1988 he co-directed the Herbs documentary ldquoThe Power Of Music - Te Kaha o Te Waiatardquowith Lee Tamahori which remains an iconic part of New Zealand music documentary history Aside from his commercials and documentary work John also directed a number of television

programmes

Share

programmes In 1990 Matte-Box Films merged with Flying Fish and John directed his first feature ldquoThe Returningrdquo

John was a great friend and mentor to me from my earliest fumbling steps in the 1970rsquos Goodbye PorkPie a formative experience Mattebox films gave me many early opportunities to spread my wings as acommercial cameraman A good man A dedicated film makerWe miss you brorsquoStuart Dryburgh ASC NZCS John was such a generous and warm hearted gentleman Yet another great loss for our close filmcommunityJohn Mahaffie NZCS John was a great operator He had a fantastic eye and a true craftsman from the old schoolPaul Lake I met John in my first week in the film business Barney gave me a job as 2nd assistant on BeyondReasonable Doubt and my first job was to go out with Mr Day to shoot a pick-up for a kids film thatRoger Donaldson had directed Shoot Pick-up I can still remember how exciting that was First day ofproduction on BRD I felt like a kid at a new school - a complete outsider John saw me eating lunch onmy own and yelled out Jono Over here - and introduced me to Lee and Turtz and Jowsey and TrouBayliss and other luminaries and made me feel like one of the boys A fucking legend - I loved himJonothan Cullinaine So sorry to hear that One of the nicest people Had good times with him often involving Ian Turtill SadBruce Sheridan He was a legend in the industryRichard Bluck NZCS President My memories of John trace my own journey through the screen industry includingJohn as Camera op on Desperate Remedies for Leon Narbey NZCS dealing with 2 Directors in his ownquiet wayJohn and Kevin Hayward shooting The Returning with John taking an amused interest in the Gaffer (me)

who was more interested in lenses than lightsJohn the person who explained to me why I was called to set to stand in for Al Guilford NZCS after hewas in a vehicle accidentJohn - quiet sparkling eyes - knowing something we all shouldKevin Riley Chairperson NZCS

John was The Dude when I first met him on the Scarcrow as a ring in loader Mellow but yet totally ontoit Sly smile and kind eyes Such a lovely man and talented camera operator producer mentor to seemany people in our industry He will be dearly missed Very sorry to hear of his passing

All the best to his whanauRenaud Maire

MEMBER BENEFITS REMINDER

Dont forget to support those who offer discounts for NZCS members

Rialto Academy The Penthouse Victoria Cinemas The Film Archive the International Film

Festival also The Basement Bats Theatre Classic Comedy Club the Interislander Resene

Paints FnF Fuels

Further details on the website under Member Benefits

httpwwwnzcinecommember-benefits

TIPS amp TRICKS

From the following website httpwwwindiewirecomarticle6-best-apps-for-filmmakers-cinematography-20141225

Cine Meter II (for iPhone iPad Android - $1999)

The original Cine Meter app was only five bucks but it also wasnt nearly as good as the secondversion is I think it will take a lot to completely do away with light meters and people like WallyPfister ASC will never entirely do away with them but Cine Meter II is allegedly giving the 100-year-old contraption a run for its legacy In its infancy it already offered more than a traditionallight meter ndash waveform monitor and false color display ndash and now its giving cinematographerslots more Now you can set shutter angle ND filter compensation and arbitrary filter factors usethe front-facing camera for light meter selfies the spot meter zooms in up to 15x and theres theoption to add a Luxi photosphere for incident-light readings for $30 Best of all Cine Meter IIdoesnrsquot require a WiFi connection nor does it use any of your phones data

Artemis (for iPhone iPad Android - $2999)

Yet another option for replacing a brick-and-mortar version of on-set relics ndash (Anyone else gettingnostalgic yet) ndash is Artemis a directors viewfinder app Having been among the first viewfinderapps out there back in 2009 Artemis is bound to be on most directors and cinematographersmobile devices The app gives the user frame lines according to the lens size and aspect ratioyou enter Version 6 debuted in 2012 and included a redesigned UI support for AirPlay and theability to store snapshots a la metadata into a gallery

Copyright copy 2015 NZ Cinematographers Society All rights reserved

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