Jon Fauer, ASC JANUARY 1, 2006 ISSUE 4

The Newsletter and Survival Guide for Film, Video and Digital Production

Cooke 15-40 5 Tiffen Filters 6 JVC GY-HD100 8 Lighting with Paint 12 Lowel Ego 14

Vittorio Storaro on DoPs, Apple iKinetoscope Happy New Year

DPs and Cinematographers

“I am a Cinematographer.
I am not a Director of Photography.”
continued on page 12

D-20 at Sundance

thanks sponsors, supporters and

Who would have predicted, when subscribers for making our first half
film’s big breakthrough was a postage year so successful.
stamp size display of images on a
Kinetoscope, that 115 years later the We come out 6 times a year.
big breakthrough would be almost the To subscribe, go to:
same size? Does the iPod Video spell www.fdtimes.com
the end of network, cable TV and or call: 212-772-8526
commercials as we know them? or fax: 212-772-6133
continued on page 3
Film and Digital Times is at
Sundance from January 13 to 21,
2006 testing an Arriflex D-20. We’ll
also be above it all, on the slopes of
Deer Valley, handheld on skis, seeing
how it behaves in snow, cold, and
banging around in backpacks.
 FDTimes MANUAL of STYLE
Many readers are already familiar with the heros and villains
in some of our books, first introduced in that classic of the
genre, the Arriflex 16SR3 Book. Who can forget the rakish
Rusty Gates, World’s Worst Assistant? He is consantly
rescued by his long suffering 2nd, Dusty. They work with
Itsy Bitzer, obscure old-school cinematographer who knows
how to travel light by packing lenses in his suitcase, wrapped
in dirty socks and stuffed inside his shoes. These scoundrels
are models of how not to do things, and are stellar role
reversal models. They have assiduously avoided the Ten
Commandments of Camera Care, one of which is repeated
on page 7.
Speaking of Ten Commandments, now that many colleagues
are contributing articles, here are our ten New Year’s
resolutions on keeping readers awake, engaged and happy:
The Film and Digital Times Manual of Style.
Latin progenitor. An affliction shared by almost every
cinematgrapher who ever lived, claiming to have
invented every useful tool ever to show up on set.
10. Do not hype irrelevant specs. Megapixels,
Megahertz, Lines and Lumens make our eyes glaze
over.
Of course these specs are important in engineering
and manufacture. But many of us manufacture
images and dreams, and need simpler
enlightenment. Above all, we’d like the answer to
one simple question, “how does it look?”

1. Well-crafted sentences are encouraged. Half of our

subscribers are overseas, and our worldwide colleagues are
as baffled by instruction manuals written in Engineerlish as
we are by guides written in Germlish, Japlish, Spanglish and
Published 6 times a year by
Sinlish. In a recent New York Times article, David Pogue
Film and Digital Times, Inc.
pointed out a particlularly perplexing paragraph: “When the 500 East 83 Street / 14a
camera focus is not so possible, hold the shutter button New York, NY 10028
vaguely until the beeping tone is heard.”
Subscriptions:
2. Articles shall be brief and to the point, with thesis, 212-772-8526
division and transition. Fax: 212-772-6133
web: www.fdtimes.com
3. No grandstanding, chest-thumping, back-biting or email: mail@fdtimes.com
litanies of past glory and obscure credits. Annual rate is $49.95 in the US,
$59.95 in Canada,
and $69.95 everywhere else.
3. Do not use technical jargon. “Our end to end workflow Subscriptions outside the US
solution leverages deliverables into scalable assets…” are sent via air mail or DHL.

4. Never use the word “workflow.” It’s guaranteed. If you are not completely satisfied, we’ll
grudgingly refund your subscription cost.
5. Avoid, like the plague, the word “solution” when you
mean software, product or idea. SPONSORS
6. Do not call anything that comes out of a camera For Sponsorship information, contact:
“deliverables.” Ellen Galvin
West Coast Sales Manager
7. Do not call anything that comes out of the editing room ellen@fdtimes.com
“assets.” phone: 310-823-8534
mobile: 310-721-9098
8. Lots of pictures and diagrams.
Laura Siegel
East Coast Sales
9. Avoid progenitoritis. From Old French progeniteur, from laura@fdtimes.com

2 JAN 1, 2006
 115 YEARS OF SOLITUDE
Peepshow
June 1889. George Eastman
discovers a way to coat emulsion
onto a celluloid roll of film “as thin
as a blister and as clear as glass.”
September 1889. “That’s it. We’ve
got it. Now work like hell.”
–Thomas Edison.
1891. William K. L. Dickson,
assistant to Thomas Edison, builds a
huge and heavy electric motor-
driven camera in 1891–the
Kinetograph. Only one person at a
time can view the film on its
accompanying Kinetoscope.
1894. Kinetoscope parlors open up
in cities all over the United States.
iPeep
October 12, 2005. Steve Jobs unveils
Apple’s iPod Video. Huge idea. Little,
pocket-sized player. It might mark
the beginning of a whole new
paradigm in how we’ll watch films,
television, video and stills.
The Peepshow’s second iteration as a
personal, postage-stamp sized image
carries a huge distinction: this time,
we can carry it around everywhere,
and soon will be able to watch any
show, anytime, anywhere.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the
aisles at your favorite electronics
retailer, massive flat screen displays
vie for our attention and wallet. But
the big box makers don’t get it the
way Apple does. They’re building big
screen monitors with all kinds of
incompatible specs, very few of them
conforming to anything remotely like
1920x1080 or 1280x720. They’re
selling 1340, 1440, EDTV, NTSC Line
Doubling. They’re just dreaming up
resolutions, and consumers are
buying iPods instead.
The iPod Video’s 2.5 inch color
screen plays MPEG4 video: movies,
music videos, Podcasts and TV
shows. It holds up to 150 hours of
video and 15,000 songs. The
breakthrough is not just cool design,
but the clever synergy of iPod and
iTunes that manages to make the
process of buying, managing and
playing video and audio content
simpler than programming a VCR or
TiVO. Music plays with 128-Kbps
AAC encoding; video is H.264
Quicktime at 750-Kbps combined
with 128-Kbps audio.
This first generation of iPod Video
doesn’t display a stellar picture. It has
S-Video output to connect to a big
monitor. But you can bet your stock
portfolio that the next versions will
get better, and pretty soon you’ll be
storing an entire movie library on
your tiny, cute and cool iPod.
The other thing Apple gets is the
notion of providing any content any
time anywhere. Instead of watching
random television, we’ll be clicking
our remotes at a computer screen
that connects to a server. With an
iTunes model that has gotten us
familiar with shelling out $1.99 per
song or show, we’ve probably reached
the end of commercials as we know
them.
Of course, astute advertisers will say,
“Aha, let’s provide the shows to
viewers for free, run a two minute
commercial at the beginning, and
charge the client per view. ” Meet
your next networks: Apple and
Google.
For example, every time someone
types “Lawrence of Arabia” in the
Google search box, Coca Cola is
billed $1.99 per hit; you watch a two
minute commercial for its latest
thirst-quenching beverage, and then
get to watch the movie for free.
Pausing play is no problem, as you
raid the refrigerator after the mirage
scene and the siege of Aqaba.
JAN 1, 2006 3
 Downsizing

HDV/DV 35mm
Honey, they shrunk the classic camcorder. Honey, they shrunk the 35mm zoom.

JVC’s new GY-HD100U camera is just 12 3/8" long and Cooke’s new 15-40mm T2.0 CXX S4i zoom lens
weighs 6.9 pounds with viewfinder, battery, microphone, matches S4i primes, weighs 7.9 lbs (3.6kg) and is
tape and bayonet-mount 5.5-88mm Fujinon zoom destined for handheld shooting, especially with Arriflex
(16x5.5 BRMU) that comes with the camera. 235 and Arricam Lite cameras.

It has three 1/3 inch chips with 1280x720 pixels. It I’ve been sworn to secrecy and cannot reveal what CXX
records HD at 24p, 25p and 30p onto DV tape and means. I can say that this is the lens that completes the
Firewire hard disk or solid state drives. You can also use picture for handheld and Steadicam shooting at T2.0.
an HDSDI converter for uncompressed output.
Lentequip’s quick-change, no-cable, 4Ah on-board
Handheld balance is greatly battery for the 235 adds 3.2 pounds to the back,
improved by adding an providing much better balance for the Cooke with
Anton/Bauer QR-JVC7/14 HDV clip-on mattebox and follow focus.
mount with Dionic 90 battery.
It will run the camera at least 5
hours, it will sit comfortably like
an Aaton cat on your shoulder
all day.

4 JAN 1, 2006
 2.Oh! Cooke CXX S4i 15-40mm

The Cooke Short/Fast Zoom 15-40mm T2.0 CXX S4i

zoom lens covers Super35.

It is small, light and fast. The zoom barrel is engraved

with the same focal lengths as the S4 primes: 15, 18, 21,
25, 27, 32, 35, and 40mm. This one zoom may very well
do the job of eight Cooke primes. Color, contrast and
geometry are very similar.

There’s no breathing when focusing, and mechanics are

smooth and light.

So when do you add primes to the order? The primes

are individually still lighter and smaller. But if the
budget is so bad that the producer is driving his own
limo, then you could get away with the wide primes (12,
14) and the long ones (50, 65, 75, 100, 135, 150, 180).

Cooke CXX 15-40mm T2 - T22 Zoom Lens

Close focus from lens front: 6.94 inches / 169mm

Length from front of lens to image plane: 11.06 inches / 281mm
Length from front of lens to lens mount: 9 inches / 229mm
Minimum marked object distance: 18 inches / 450mm
Maximum format covered: 30mm image circle (for Super 35
format)
Diagonal angle of view for 30mm image circle: 90 - 41 degrees
Iris scales: Both sides, whole and 1/3 stops marked
Focus scales: both sides, choice of meters or feet
Zoom scales: both sides
Angular rotation of zoom scale 130 degrees
Front diameter 136mm
Weight 7.9 lbs. / 3.6 Kg

To update your ARRICAM Book, photocopy table below, and paste

it onto page 344 . Or pg 270 of Arriflex 435 Book.

Lens Aperture Min Focus Front Diameter Length from Image Plane Weight kg (pounds)

Cooke CXX 15-40 T2.0 - T22 18” 136mm 229mm / 9 inches 3.6 Kg (7.9)

JAN 1, 2006 5
New Tiffen Filters

Normal, unflitered scene. Tiffen Bronze Glimmerglass 5

Tiffen’s Bronze Glimmerglass (above, right) uses metallic

flakes to add warmth, reduce contrast, and glow the
highlights slightly. Helpful for fashion and beauty,
Glimmerglass is also interesting for period looks.

Digital Diffusion DFX filters (right) are like a spa in a

pouch: smoothing out the talent’s wrinkles and blemishes
without highlight glow, and without reduction of contrast.
Especially good on digital or video cameras to give skin
tones a more silky look, they are also helpful when
shooting film. Less reduction in contrast than Soft FX, less
brightening of shadows. No dot pattern inside the filter.
Tiffen Digital Diffusion DFX 5

HDTV FX combines Tiffen’s Digital Diffusion DFX with

an Ultra Contrast filter. The Ultra Contrast part reduces
contrast, brings up shadow detail, and effectively lets you
stop your video or digital camera more to retain
highlights better. The DFX component provides a
pleasing skin tone,makes wrinkles and blemishes less
obtrusive and gives the image a smooth look without
softening it. Describing filters is something akin to
discussing fine wine, with esoteric metaphors. Luckily we
have pictures to show. They were all shot within a ten
minute window.
Tiffen High Definition HDTV FX 2
There’s Nude Perfume by Bill Blass, Youth Dew Amber
Nude by Estee Lauder, and now Tiffen Nude/FX filters. I
didn’t know Steve Tiffen was such a wild and crazy guy.

These filters enhance skin tones, warm the flesh and

conjure up improved imagery both real and
aspirational.With Nude/FX filters, even the prosaic scene
at right harbors possibilities. And you thought filters
were just boring pieces of glass. Pull this filter out when
your nordic model lands in Miami from Helsinki, and
you can’t spare four hours of airbrush makeup or a trip
to the tanning salon.
Tiffen Nude FX 6

6 JAN 1, 2006
Retrofit Syndrome Lens Pen
Our old nemesis, Rusty Gates, World’s Worst Camera
Assistant, was last seen in 1998 at the bar after a long,
dusty, dirty, windy, salty day expounding on the virtues
of never cleaning lenses and running equipment until it
stops or breaks.

Mercifully, his long-suffering Second Assistant, Dusty

Secondi, has picked up a Lens Pen at the Duty
Free in Amsterdam Airport, and wrote, “If
the lens is smeared, dirty or fingerprinted, we
found the Lenspen to be the winner for ease
of use in this year’s Lens Cleaning Triathalon.
It looks like a pen, with a small mushroom
shaped plunger on the end and employs a
mysterious dry compound. The anonymous
manufacturer assures us it is made in a clean
room to assure that the cleaning tip is free of
any unwanted hard particles. No address is
Arri’s External Display (EXD-1) is an essential accessory
given for collection of claims or grievances.
for the 235 camera, which is so small, they didn’t have
room for a readout on the “smart side.” The “dumb
A couple of weeks ago, Ryan Keating, Senior
side” has one, and perhaps this configuration will
Product & Marketing Manager of LensPen,
change the terminology for dumb camera right and
wrote, “I was having a look through your
smart camera left.
books, and I came across a short write-up on
our LensPen product. I can fill in a few of the
Anyway, we can’t live without essential speed, footage,
blanks for you. We are the manufacturer. We
voltage and mode information on the operator side. The
make the generic brand, “LensPen,” as well as all
point is to keep this camera small, so we don’t like the
the other private label brands of LensPen, such
EXD flying above on a magic arm. Thanks to industrial
as Nikon LensPen, Kodak LensPen, Celestron
Velcro, we just stick it on the door. If you remove the
LensPen, Sima LensPen, etc.
focus tape hook, you can slide it further forward so it
doesn’t block the camera door.
“The compound is a proprietary
formulation of different types of carbon
Caution: industrial Velcro pulls paint off. If it’s a rental
black, an industrial element known for its
camera, check with the rental house before attaching.
adsorptive capacity. It bonds with the amino acids in skin
oil (e.g. fingerprint marks) and removes the oil completely
from the lens surface. It also leaves no carbon on the
smooth lens surface, although it will on a rough surface,
such as a fingertip where the compound is trapped in the
ridges of the fingerprints.

“As for how long the LensPen lasts, the fact is that since
the carbon compound does not spill, dry out or
biodegrade in any way, the product has a shelf life of
virtually forever, and only wears out through use: 500-
1,000 applications, depending on the size of the lens and
the level of contaminant.”

LensPen
Parkside Optical - International Parkside Products Inc.
www.lenspen.com
(604) 681-6472 (Vancouver, B.C., Canada)

JAN 1, 2006 7
 HDV from JVC
Loosen knurled ring to slide eyepiece
extender in and out

Eyepiece diopter adjustment

Menu Earpiece adjustments

selections

Menu Button

On-board
Monitor
flips out

Record Start/Stop

Power On/Off

What sets JVC’s GY-HD100 camcorder apart is ergonomics

and the designer’s appreciation of how users are shaped and
how they behave. The shoulder pad, eyepiece and earpiece are
all adjustable. They didn’t assume every user has the same size
head. The eyepiece slides in and out from the camera body,
and pivots up and down for most permutations of shooting
angles and situations. A mini-monitor flips out from the body.
There’s a built-in extendable finder extender that is very
comfortable when shooting on a tripod. It offers true 24p. And
it behaves like bigger brethren when shooting from the
shoulder or on a tripod.
Loosen
ring to
Adjust finder extend Andrew Young recently returned from a grueling, wet and
in/out from finder miserable documentary in Madagascar. To dry out the camera,
camera body front/back he roasted it over a fire at night. Although this probably
voided his warranty, the camera proved to be more resilient
than Andrew’s toes, which were afflicted with all kinds of
repulsive tropical ills.

Although some users have discussed a “split screen effect” (a

small difference in the shading or color between left and right
portions of the screen,) I did not experience it in my four
weeks of testing. Nor did Young in Madagascar. For more on
this, go to the JVC website (pro.jvc.com), go to the ProHD
section, click on FAQ (left side) and click on the question
“What is the native resolution of the chips in the GY-HD100?”
Here, you’ll find JVC’s recommendations:
1. When possible, permit the camera to warm up for five
minutes prior to shooting.
2. White balance prior to shooting.
3. Gain boost and Full Time Auto White (FAW) are not
recommended unless really needed.
8 JAN 1, 2006
 JVC GY-HD100
If you rented the camera, you may want to restore
factory default settings. Open the on-board mini
monitor, or look in the eyepiece; turn the camera on,
be sure you’re in CAM (Camera) mode (push CAM
button), push the MENU button, and navigate to the
OTHERS Menu screen. Select MENU ALL RESET.

Go to the VIDEO FORMAT Menu to set frame rate

and format (HDV: 720/24p, 720/25p, 720/30p, DV:
576/50p, 480/60p, 480/24p, 480/60i) and aspect ratio
(16:9 or 4:3).

HDV/DV The microphone that comes with the camera requires

phantom powering: set the AUDIO INPUT slide switch to
Component Out
MIC +24V. Channel 1 Audio always goes to channel 1. The
auto/manual CH-2 slide switch is usually best left on channel 2.
iris control

To open the tape compartment, push the EJECT button.

Although the camera accepts standard DV tape, using
higher quality HDV cassettes to avoid dropout is worth the
added expense. A slide switch at the rear offers HDV or
DV output via Firewire, and next to it are 720/60p
uncompressed analog component outputs.

So far, this is the only HDV camera and lens system with
real focus witness marks, end stops and ability to do
accurate feature-style follow focus. Stick a strip of white
1/4” chart tape to the focus barrel to set your marks.

The supplied Fujinon zoom is quite good. It’s sharp,

contrasty, tracks well, and I don’t know how JVC can
afford to include it in a package that costs less than most
standalone lenses. Your almost getting the camera free.

So, with the money you’ve saved, buy a 2nd lens:

Fujinon’s outstanding wide zoom (Th13x3.5BRMU.)
In a previous article, I worried about handling a camera by
its lens. JVC engineers have mollified that concern with the
evidence at left. The bayonet mount is much beefier than a
motion picture camera’s mount, and is not surrounded by
a large mirror shutter cavity.

JVC supplies an accessory 1/2” to 1/3” mechanical bayonet

mount lens converter.

Prediction: I think 1/3” is going to be a popular format,

and we’ll see lots of zooms, telephotos and primes in that
format or modified and adapted from an already vast
assortment of possibilities.

JAN 1, 2006 9
 High Definition & Your TV Spot
A not-too-technical Primer. By David Friedman, djm Post Production

Editor’s note: This New York post After you get the rough cut approved, the What’s all this going to cost?
production facility probably sees more editor will match back to the OCN just The truth is that there ARE some
footage than most cinematographers, and like we do now. For the final transfer you additional costs involved, primarily with
reading David’s insight into HD and will now transfer to HD. While technically the final transfer. Some transfer houses do
commercial production clarified many
there are almost 20 different HD formats charge more to go to HD. Depending on
murky concepts for me.
that you can record in, we’ll concentrate the facility, it could be because they have
on the 2 that the networks are using, to use a different telecine machine. They
What is HD?
referred to as ‘1080i’ and ‘720p’. These definitely have to use different tape decks
At its most basic, HD is a higher
designations refer to the number of scan and stock.Your graphics may be more
resolution form of video. While NTSC
lines in the frame and the way they are too. Talk to your graphics people about
(now often referred to as Standard
displayed. As mentioned above, 1080i that. But we’ve decided that we will be
Definition) consists of 720 columns and
consists of 1080 scan lines displayed in an charging the same for a HD conform as
486 rows of pixels (a little under 350,000),
interlace format (like today’s television). we were charging for a SD conform. Extra
HD in its most popular form contains
This means that the television will display masters and HD dubs for the networks
1920 by 1080 pixels (a little more than 2
the odd number lines, then go back to the are additional. All told it shouldn’t be
million). The result is a sharper, more
top of the picture and draw in the even more than a few thousand dollars per
detailed image with greater range from
number lines between the odd lines. 720p spot. But if you consider the total cost of
light to dark and better color renditions. It
consists of only 720 scan lines but they are most productions today, a few thousand
is also displayed in a wider, more movie
displayed progressively from the top of the dollars is really not that much for what
like aspect ratio of 16 x 9 (1.78 : 1)
screen down to the bottom (like a you get. A beautiful High Definition spot
compared to SD’s 4 x 3 (1.33 : 1).
computer monitor). Engineers and for the HD broadcasts AND a Standard
technicians have been arguing for years as Definition spot for all other purposes.
How do you get HD?
to which is better; the result of which is
There is a certain misconception that you
that NBC, CBS, PBS, WB all use 1080i as The government’s plan is to turn off SD
must shoot video to get HD. Not true.
their broadcast format while ABC & Fox transmission on Jan. 1, 2007. Most experts
Film still has the highest resolution of any
use 720p.We recommend that you doubt that this will happen due to the
capture medium available. Much higher
transfer to 1080i. There is more than slower-than-expected adoption of HD by
than HD. When you shoot on film, be
enough information in each frame to consumers. But High Definition IS
sure to install a 16 x 9 ground glass (with
create a 720p master as well as a 1080i coming! Most prime time shows are
4:3 markings as well) in the camera. This
master from the same transfer. being finished in hi def today. Watch the
will allow correct framing of the scenes.
Since we’ll assume that there will be both bottom of the frame at the beginning of
After the final transfer, we conform on shows. Most display a bug saying that the
a standard definition and a high definition
our Avid DS HD system taking the show is available in HD. The time to start
completion, keep in mind that while you
project information from the off line finishing spots in HD is NOW. When a
are shooting 16 x 9 you will want to keep
Avid. Fades, dissolves, and most other viewer is watching in HD at home and
any important action or product within a
offline effects should come in without the commercials come up, shouldn’t your
“4 x 3 emphasis”of that frame.
having to recreate them. Certain others spots be as sharp, clear, and wide screen as
will need to be tweaked. The DS has a the show? Wouldn’t that demonstrate that
Next: Cutting, conforming, output.
large amount of graphics and your client’s product is “with it?”
The good news is that you can do
compositing capabilities but if you are Considering how the shelf life of TV spots
you rough cutting in SD on a regular
doing graphics with a 3rd party, make has gotten longer and longer over the last
Avid. What you will want to do is tell
sure you have them do the graphics in several years, a spot finished today might
whoever does your video dailies that
HD as well. still be broadcast 2 years from now when
you have shot for 16 x 9. The lab
should then give you letterboxed SD a LOT more people will be watching in
Once conformed in the DS and mixed, HD.
dailies. This way you can see the
we can make an HD master or a SD
entire frame when you do your
master directly out of the system. We can David Friedman can be reached at
rough cutting.
record onto HDCam, Digibeta, BetaSP, www.djmpost.tv
or any one of 10 other tape formats you
may need.

10 JAN 1, 2006
 Opening Credit
Barbara Lowry
A Director of Cooke Optics Limited is a lady of many
talents and an inveterate student. Barbara Lowry
graduated from Northern Illinois University with a
degree in Textiles and Clothing. After successful careers
in television, architecture and design, she got a
Paralegal Certificate from Montclair State College, and
is now studying medicine at the School of Homeopathy
in New York.
Barbara joined ZGC full time in 1998 when Les Zellan
bought the Cooke lens division from Taylor Hobson.
She helped get ZGC into the MiniDV market with
Canon XL1 cameras and accessories from OpTex
International of England. In 2002, Barbara got Cooke
back into large format lenses with a modern version of
one of Ansel Adams’ favorite lenses: the Cooke Series
XVa Triple Convertible for 8x10. The next one (by
popular demand) will be a 4x5 version of the XVa.
History is repeating itself: Cooke introduced large
format lenses in 1893 and manufacturing continued at
Taylor Hobson until the early 1960s.
When P+S Technik came out with the Mini35, Barbara
was behind the marketing in the U.S. Today, as a
director of Cooke Optics and Marketing Director at
ZGC, she maintains the ZGC and Cooke Optics
websites, produces and places the ads, and has been
cataloging over a 100 years of Cooke archival material.
She’s written magazine articles based on material
uncovered in the Cooke archives and wrote the history
section of the Cooke website.
Barbara and Les happen to be husband and wife. They
have a son who just turned 21 years old. What does
Barbara want to do when she grows up? My guess is
something in optics and homeopathic medicine.
Vittorio Storaro, ASC, AIC on DP vs
Cinematographer
The epithet “DoP” has always made me cringe. My
qualms were confirmed in a recent interview with
Vittorio Storaro, ASC, AIC for our upcoming book and
film Cinematographer Style.
He said, “I am a Cinematographer. I am not a Director of
Photography, a DP or a DoP. I think there are two major
problems with the credit ‘Director of Photography.’ A movie
is like an orchestra. There is only one conductor, only one
director. On a film, there isn’t one director for the actors
and another director for the style.
“Second, in my opinion, photography, writing with light, is
expressed in one single image. But in cinematography, we
are expressing ourselves in cinematography, “kino,”
movement, and motion. In photography, there is a
photographer; in cinematography, there is a
cinematographer.”
Vittorio Storaro has published an amazing trilogy
Writing with Light (Scrivere con la Luce). The three
books, Light, Colors, and Elements distill over 30 years of
practical experience and knowledge into a wonderfully
erudite discussion of his work and philosophy. Available
from the ASC bookstore www.theasc.com or online:
www.aureaweb.com or www.storarovittorio.com
JAN 1, 2006 11
 Lighting with Paint
Thomas Eakins (1844 -1916) was born in
Philadelphia, studied in Europe from 1866 to 1870,
and was probably most influenced by the Spanish
painters Velázquez and Ribera. Interest in realism
led him to Muybridge and photography, and his
lighting is often compared to Rembrandt’s. Like
Leonardo, he also studied anatomy.

His most famous of painting is The Gross Clinic

(Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, 1875). Its
gory view of surgery makes me queasy every time,
which is why we show his Agnew Clinic instead,
below (University of Pennsylvania, 1889).

He enjoyed music, hosting musical performances

like the painting at left.

How would Eakins have lit this scene today? Let’s

assume the location was the parlor in his home.
There are no windows or lamps in the shot. A
strong source is coming from camera left, through
an archway that leads to the living room. But Mrs.
Eakins doesn’t want any lights in the house: the last
crew scratched the floor terribly. The clever crew is
up on all the latest equipment, and pulls an
Singing a Pathetic Song
1881 ArriMax 18K PAR off the truck. They box it in with
Oil four 4x4 solids to keep the light from spilling onto
The Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC anything but the singer, whose song they find
inspiring and not pathetic at all.

In 1889, students from the University of

Pennsylvania's School of Medicine asked Eakins to
do a portrait of their retiring surgery professor Dr.
Hayes Agnew. They offered Eakins $750. He
accepted the project, and added that he would be
delighted to paint not only Dr. Agnew, but, for the
same price, an entire class picture.

Lacking a grid in this location, his crew once again

used a Matthews Max to hang a Finnlight overhead.
In the “old days” they would have made a goal post
of steel pipe atop two high rollers, holding a heavy
Coop Light. But the hospital administration, after a
call to Scott Taylor or Taylor and Taylor, didn’t think
Eakins had enough liability coverage should the
arrangement topple over onto the priceless head of
The Agnew Clinic
Dr. Agnew. The lightweight Finnlight and the
1889
Oil on canvas adjustable Matthews Max were set up in ten
84 3/8 x 118 1/8 inches minutes, and the side skirts kept the light contained
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia on the good doctor, his team and the patient.

12 JAN 1, 2006
 Lighting in Tight Places
Here’s the hardware that would have been used in the Eakins
paintings on the opposite page.

Matthews MAX replaces menace arms, comet booms, goal posts

and other ways (with scary names) to hang a light above or
behind or just out of frame. It’s a fast and safe way to hang a
light outside a window where you don’t want to see the stand.

Collapsed, one person (even one teamster) can wheel it off the
truck’s liftgate. Fold the legs down, crank the posts up and
extend the arm out.

Fully extended, MAX can carry 75 pounds. In its 2nd position, it

carries 175 pounds.

Max’s younger brother, MINI MAX, supports 15 pounds 9 feet

high and 9 feet extended. www.msegrip.com

More Lights
FINNLIGHT TOPLIGHT ARRIMAX 18/12
Another product whose name is MAX claims to be the
brightest HMI PAR on the planet.

ARRI’s new light combines the variable beam spread of a

Fresnel and the light output of a PAR, with a reflector that
eliminates the typical set of PAR spread lenses.

With continuous focus from 15° – 50°, the shadow quality

is sharp and easily cut.

It is 50% brighter than a 12k PAR, with an Arc-like

intensity and shadow quality. Uses 18,000W and 12,000W
Single Ended (GX51) bulbs. Lamp life is about 300 hours.
Need a lightweight, easily portable soft overhead light?
An optional motorized yoke enables remote control of pan
FinnLight’s Toplight is a 6k PAR overhead softlight
and tilt, which is helpful when it’s cold and snowing and
with about 5 times the output of a Spacelight (50
you don’t want to stand in the Condor bucket all night.
footcandles vs 10 footcandles at 25’). It provides broad
coverage with a choice of two separate and separated
diffusion frames. Lightweight (43 pounds) and easy to LIGHTPANELS MINI 3200°K
rig, the Toplight hangs horizontally with two 36" x 56"
diffusion frames suspended beneath and fully enclosed
Litepanels Minis are now available in 3200°K or 5600°K ,
with aluminized Nomex fabric. (A 1' skirt can be
Spot or Flood.The Mini Flood has a 50 degree spread. The
folded up or down). One Toplight can replace 5
Spot has a 20 degree spread.
Spacelights in many applications, saving instruments,
cable, dimmers, power A/C and weight.
Flicker-free, heat-free, and dimmable from 0 to 100%,
www.finnlight.com
with virtually no shift in color.

JAN 1, 2006 13
 Lowel Ego. Illuminate your Ego with
this Tabletop Light
The Lowel Ego Light looks like a Noguchi night light, but
is actually a tabletop fluorescent softlight. It sets up in
seconds and is cheaper than an hour on the couch
analyzing why product shots were always so elusive.
We’ve been told (unfounded) that many of us in the
business have massively inflated egos as it is. But this
little panacea will puff yours up immeasurably as
beautiful product shots are mere seconds away. Ross
Lowell’s legacy of fun and pun product names continues:
Art Kramer came up with this prosumer light intended
for eBay product shots.
But guess what? It’s showing up in studios on high-end
commercials. Fashion shooters are using it as a soft
portrait light.
Lowel Ego comes with 2 custom 27W screw-in compact
daylight fluorescent lamps with high Color Rendering
Index (more natural color balance than standard
fluorescents.)
Also included is a hinge-folded white bounce card for
easily reflected fill. An accessory sweep comes with many
colored mini no-seams.
14 JAN 1, 2006
Eye Cushions
A perspiring producer prods
you away and peers into the
eyepiece. He nods
approval, and leaves you
with a soggy, sweat-
drenched eyecup. Your
ever vigilant assistant
swaps it for a clean one.
Meanwhile, there’s a
documentary crew shooting a
behind-the-scenes documentary of
your show with an HDV camcorder, and they have rash
marks around their foreheads from hours of sticky
soggy rubber pressed against skin, and they’re
wondering why these eye cusions aren’t mandatory for
everyone.
Ever wonder where these eye cushions come from?
Until a few days ago, I never knew there was a single
source, a virtual cartel of eye cushions, and it happens to
be my friend Emery Soos of Lentequip. I had previously
bought them from expendable stores by the case.
In addition to making Canatrans video transmitters and
high-end batteries, Lentequip is the international
distributor of Bluestar eye cushions, the Saville row of
bespoke ocular bliss.
Made from oil-tanned English chamois, the eye
cushions are wheel-buffed to downy softness. They are
non-irritating, non-allergenic and fragrance-free. A new
cushion made of microfibre synthetic leather is available
for those who are sensitive about depleting the herds of
whatever animal becomes an eye cushion.
Bluestar eye cushions are welded rather than stitched.
When gently stretched, the cushion conforms to fit
snugly and securely around both circular and oval
eyecups.
Emery might be mad at me for diminishing sales by
passing along this suggestion gleaned from years of
shooting with Gordy Waterman. Hand wash the eye
cushion with a mild detergent. Wring them out and let
them dry overnight. Use a hair dryer if you’re in short
turnaround. Crumple them up to restore softness.
Luckily for Emery, this is a lot of work, so sales should
continue to be brisk for years to come.
www.lentequip.com/products/bluestar
Film and Digital Times is made
possible by the paid subscriptions of
readers like you, and through
Cinema Catastrophes
additional generous grants from some
companies who see “I don’t know what happened...it must have just come apart. I picked up
this newsletter as a way to educate and the tripod and the camera just flew off about 30 feet into the air.
entertain in ways not previously Someone must have unscrewed the tie-down. We took the camera-right
possible. Content is in no way side cover off to see why the camera wouldn’t work. It looked OK. Next,
linked to sponsorship. Think of this we tried to put the cover back on, but it wouldn’t fit. We tapped it with
as the PBS of newsletters. Thank a hammer...”
you readers and sponsors.
(true story, as told to
www.abelcine.com camera service
department;
www.arri.com
names
www.cookeoptics.com withheld to
www.clairmont.com protect the
www.fvesco.com guilty)
www. jlfisher.com
www.kodak.com/go/motion
www.lentequip.com
www.prestoncinema.com
www.sony.com/professional
www.technicolor.com
ww.zgc.com

Subscribe Today!
The how-to newsletter of high-end technique and technology in film,
1 Year Subscription, 6 issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $49.95 video and digital production

1 Year Subscription, Canada. 6 issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . $59.95

1 Year Subscription, Worldwide. Airmail. 6 issues. . . . $69.95
www.fdtimes.com
email@fdtimes.com
Payment Method (please check one): phone: 212-772-8526
Or mail to: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VISA Mastercard fax: 212-772-6133
Film & Digital Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Discover American Express
500 East 83 Street / 14a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Check Enclosed
New York, NY 10028 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (payable to Film and Digital Times)

Credit Card # ________________________________________________________________________________________

Exp. ________________________ Signature _______________________________________________________________

Company___________________________________________________________________________________________

Name ______________________________________________________________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________________________________________________________

City ______________________________________________ State _____________________ Zip ____________________

Country ____________________________________________________________________________________________

Phone ____________________________________ Email ___________________________________________________

JAN 1, 2006 15
Sponsored by:

Subscribe: www.fdtimes.com 212-772-8526 fax: 212-772-6133

®

Survival Gudies to technique and technology

in film, video and digital production

Film and Digital Times, Inc.

500 East 83 Street / 14a
New York, NY 10028

© 2005 Film and Digital Times