More monkey business Michael Seresin BSC NZSC / War For The Planet OF The Apes More monkey business Michael Seresin BSC NZSC / War For The Planet OF The Apes BY: Ron Prince War For The Planet Of The Apes is the sequel to 20th Century Fox and Chernin Entertainment’s 2014 feature Dawn Of The Planet Of … Read more
Globe trotter Darius Khondji AFC ASC / Okja Globe trotter Darius Khondji AFC ASC / Okja BY: Ron Prince Okja is no ordinary pet. She’s a six-ton ‘super piglet’, and is both cherished and adored by Mija, a 14-year-old orphan who lives with her grandfather in blissful, mountainous, farm country in South Korea. However, the trouble is … Read more
The greatest escape Hoyte van Hoytema FSF NSC ASC / Dunkirk The greatest escape Hoyte van Hoytema FSF NSC ASC / Dunkirk BY: Ron Prince One could be forgiven for assuming that Dunkirk is a traditional war movie. But think again. Its director, Christopher Nolan, has expressly stated that it is, first and foremost, a … Read more
Bigger Data, Smaller Lights CineGear Expo 2017 / Mark London Williams Bigger Data, Smaller Lights CineGear Expo 2017 / Mark London Williams All pictures courtesy of George Leon of Filmcast Live. As one colleague noted, Cine Gear is en route to becoming a “mini-NAB” – an ever-expanding trade show of equipment, and its possibilities, for … Read more
Monster makeover Ben Seresin BSC ASC / The Mummy Monster makeover Ben Seresin BSC ASC / The Mummy BY: Ron Prince Once upon a time in ancient Egypt, a princess, named Ahmanet, was chosen as the new ruler. But her father did not wish to pass the throne to her, preferring a male heir. When … Read more
Contemplations from Cannes 2017 Special Report / Richard Andry AFC Contemplations from Cannes 2017 Special Report / Richard Andry AFC We decided there was nobody better-placed to give us the inside, cinematographic track on the 70th Cannes Film Festival than Richard Andry AFC, president of the French Society of Cinematographers. “Every year Cannes becomes the … Read more
The New Standard Across The Pond / Mark London Williams The New Standard Across The Pond / Mark London Williams “When I first joined SIM Group, the trend really was to use the Arri Alexa. This was the case until the growth of Netflix, as they now require 4K capture at the sensor. This has … Read more
Other worlds Lol Crawley BSC / The OA Other worlds Lol Crawley BSC / The OA BY: Ron Prince American supernatural, sci-fi mystery drama, The OA , debuted on Netflix in December 2016. Described by critics as “astounding” and “brilliant”, the eight-part series was lensed in its entirety, over 86 days, by British cinematographer Lol … Read more
Reds Greens & Blues Brothers Spotlight / PixiPixel Reds Greens & Blues Brothers Spotlight / PixiPixel BY: Kevin Hilton West London, and its surrounding areas in Buckinghamshire and Middlesex, has long been the core of the British film and television industry. The big studios are, or were, there; producers and crew, such as cinematographers and … Read more
Cliffhanger Mike Eley BSC / My Cousin Rachel Cliffhanger Mike Eley BSC / My Cousin Rachel BY: Ron Prince Ambiguity, suspense, ecstasy and torment typify the work of popular English author Daphne du Maurier, whose oeuvre included the novels Rebecca and Jamaica Inn and the short stories The Birds and Don’t Look Now – all … Read more
Colourful tales Post-It Notes/ Peter Doyle / Technicolor Colourful tales Post-It Notes/ Peter Doyle / Technicolor Peter Doyle, supervising digital colourist, Technicolor, on how HDR contributes to storytelling. It has been an eventful couple of years for those members of the creative community who have been experimenting with High Dynamic Range (HDR). As the technology … Read more
Shining a light on… Gaffers ‘R’ Us / Perry Evans Shining a light on… Gaffers ‘R’ Us / Perry Evans Fact file Age: 55 Born: West London Early years: Notting Hill, Ladbroke Grove Education: Henry Compton School, Fulham Lives: Staines-upon-Thames Big Break: Monty Python films, Time Bandits and Brazil Hobby/passion: I’ve always had a hobby … Read more
Buyer Beware Letter from America / Steven Poster ASC Buyer Beware Letter from America / Steven Poster ASC Steven Poster ASC says the appliance and adoption of new technologies can only be successful when it helps storytellers. As Michael Hobbes noted in a recent Twitter post: “Kentaro Toyama, a former Gates Foundation consultant and the author of Geek Heresy: Rescuing … Read more
Willing and able Clapperboard / James B. Devis BSC Willing and able Clapperboard / James B. Devis BSC BY: David A. Ellis During a career stretching over 50 years, James Devis BSC operated on a healthy number of great films with many notable directors and cinematographers, including Moonraker (1979, dir Lewis Gilbert) with Alec Mills … Read more
So into it… Meet The New Wave / Chris O’Driscoll So into it… Meet The New Wave / Chris O’Driscoll Filmography (so far): The Pass (2016), PostJump (2015), Selfie (2014), Last Tango In Croydon (2012) and Balzan’s Contract (2012). When did you discover you wanted to be a cinematographer? Originally, I trained as a building … Read more
Fast-paced thrills George Richmond BSC / Unlocked Fast-paced thrills George Richmond BSC / Unlocked BY: Michael Burns Not content with turning Prague into London for your movie? Why not also take on the challenge of giving it a rich, colourful look, reminiscent of a Hollywood blockbuster, with a European twist? Unlocked is the thrilling story … Read more
Creating the old and the new Across The Pond / Mark London Williams Creating the old and the new Across The Pond / Mark London Williams “The things of which Baldwin spoke were not as much in the past as they clearly have resonance in the present.” That was cinematographer Henry Adebonojo talking to us … Read more
Modern marvel Henry Braham BSC / Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol.2 Modern marvel Henry Braham BSC / Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol.2 BY: Ron Prince Shot by dazzling shot, line by irreverent line, Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 is a witty, action-packed and spectacular follow-up to 2014’s Guardians Of The Galaxy. Becoming the fifteenth … Read more
Problems with modern day cinema GBCT News / John Keedwell Problems with modern day cinema GBCT News / John Keedwell Mainstream cinema seems to be entering a strange phase of its creativity. Our multiplexes are now packed with sequels and remakes and it seems filmmakers are rapidly running out of ideas. The 2016 award-winning films … Read more
Taxing Times GBCT News / Tim Potter Taxing Times GBCT News / Tim Potter Budgets rarely bring good news. Drinkers often need a fag to calm their nerves and smokers a drink to drown their sorrows. Recent times are little different. The regulars are on trajectories that have been set for some years to come. … Read more