MORAL DILEMMA
Production: The Sleeping Beast
Cinematographer: Elen Lotman ESC
Director: Jaak Kilmi
Production type: Fiction feature film
Overview of production: The film is the story of a group of children spending their summer in a sleepy hamlet, where their only entertainment is simply hanging around and climbing in an abandoned manufacturing facility, until they are forbidden to do that. The gang’s boss Kristjan and his friends Ariel, Loore, Mia-Margot and Siim decide to ignore the ban. This decision changes their lives and friends face a grim confrontation. They need to answer the question – what is right and what is wrong?
Lens(es): Rehoused Leica R lenses
Lenses supplied by: BB Rental
Camera: Sony Venice LF with Rialto system
Look you needed to achieve: Naturalistic, but expressive at the same time. The look needed to change from dreamy summer to ominous and sinister.
Lens testing process: We ran smaller tests first where we tested other lenses too (not only in terms of the look but also the size and practical handling with the Rialto configuration). After narrowing the choice to Leica Rs, we had a test shoot day on location, where we tested together the camera setup, lenses, location, cast, costumes, and make-up.
Why your chosen lens was the most appropriate: The soft and swirly bokeh had a potential for both the endless childhood summery feeling and also for the isolation that the main character feels after he is left out of the group.
Explanation of lensing techniques used: The whole camera and setup was based around the fact that in most of the scenes there are five children, so the changes of group dynamics had to be recorded through the blocking and appropriate height of the lens in relation to the main characters.
Filters: Tiffen 4×5.65” GRAD Clear / ND 6 Soft Hor; Tiffen 4×5.65” GRAD Clear / ND 9 Soft Hor; Tiffen 4×5.65” Glimmerglass ½; Tiffen 4×5.65” Glimmerglass 1; Schneider 4×5.65” Hollywood Black Magic ¼; Schneider 4×5.65” Hollywood Black Magic 1/8; Tiffen Clear 4×5.65; and Schneider 4×5.65 Rota-Tray with Circular Polariser.
Challenges faced and how they were overcome: Every film is a challenge in so many ways and every film has its own unique challenges. The Sleeping Beast is a children’s thriller, which is not a very common genre and along with it comes a unique set of challenges – shooting with children, two cameras, night shoots. I feel that the right lens choice is something that can help you through the other challenges, as when the choice is correct you can rely on it while juggling other unknowns.
Anything else to add: I was surprised lenses that are so small and unassuming can deliver such a cinematic look.
Lens lessons this production taught you: It is better if the lens choice grows out of the film itself naturally, not that you impose your idea on the film and later many things will have to accommodate the alien lens choice.
