Cameras

Understanding the Changing Nature of Filmed Stories

Wed, 01/08/2014 - 12:42 -- Nick Dager

Filmmaker Matt Ogens latest effort is a feature length documentary called Meet the Hitlers. When he selects the right for any of his projects his first thought, though, is how best to tell the story is wants to convey. “It all comes down to telling great stories,” said Ogens. “There are different types of stories, and the nature of the story itself may change how I capture it on film. To decide on that, I collaborate with a director of photography and ask what type of camera he or she thinks is best for each project from a creative perspective, but sometimes the reality of a budget may also dictate what cameras are available to me. We will discuss the look I want for the story and then the DP and I will choose the camera.”

Recreating an Iconic Moment from the Civil Rights Era

Fri, 12/20/2013 - 12:11 -- Nick Dager

Re-creating the past can be challenging for filmmakers, especially when tasked to duplicate the look of a particular time in history for a period movie. Add a tight budget, cramped locations, and underwater photography, and you have the situation James Chressanthis, ASC, faced as cinematographer for the movie The Watsons Go to Birmingham. Based on the novel by Christopher Paul Curtis, the film depicts a fictional family’s 1963 road trip intersecting with an actual terrorist bombing during the civil-rights era.

Framestore Uses Vicon T40 Cameras for Pre-Vis on Gravity, Jupiter Ascending

Thu, 11/21/2013 - 12:07 -- Nick Dager

Framestore used 16 Vicon T40 cameras on the pre-visualisation for space scenes in Gravity. Framestore integrated the cameras with Blade – Vicon’s data capture and data processing system – to help create complex and extremely realistic visual effects. They will also use the cameras for pre-vis on the upcoming film Jupiter Ascending.

Size Matters on The Aviators Shoots

Thu, 11/21/2013 - 11:58 -- Nick Dager

When Devin Lund, director of photography for The Aviators on PBS, goes on assignment, he’s got to be ready for constant change. “Sometimes we’re dealing with the military. Sometimes we’re dealing with private aircraft owners. I’ve got to be ready to deal with last-minute changes. It always happens,” Lund explains.

DP Graham Creates Intimate Character Portrait with the Canon EOS 5D

Thu, 10/03/2013 - 15:44 -- Nick Dager

“In the true tradition of independent film, Cold Turkey is a dialogue- and character-driven movie,” explained director of photography Lucas Lee Graham. “We wanted an intimate, personal look with a really shallow depth of field and nice portraiture so that the visual emphasis would be on the characters and what they were doing.”

Michos Takes On Music and Dance for Langston Hughes’ Memoire Black Nativity

Mon, 09/30/2013 - 16:08 -- Nick Dager

Music and dance are a big part of the contemporary adaptation of Langston Hughes’ holiday musical drama, Black Nativity. It follows Langston (Jacob Latimore), a street-wise teen from Baltimore as he journeys to New York City to spend the Christmas holiday with his estranged grandparents.

Pages

Subscribe to Cameras