J U LY 2 019

AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER • JULY 2019 • GAME OF THRONES: SEASON 8 – ABBY’S – ASC’S EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH – WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS • VOL. 100 NO. 7
 J U L Y 2 0 1 9 V O L . 1 0 0 N O . 7
— ASC 100 Anniversary
th —

On Our Cover: Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) awaits the arrival of

the Night King in Game of Thrones’ eighth and final season, shot by David
Franco, Fabian Wagner, ASC, BSC, and Jonathan Freeman, ASC. (Photo by
Helen Sloan, courtesy of HBO.)

FEATURES
24 Game of Thrones — Of Ice and Fire
David Franco, Fabian Wagner, ASC, BSC, and Jonathan Freeman, ASC help bring

44
HBO’s epic saga to a close

Abby’s — The Great Outdoors

Gregg Heschong, ASC welcomes AC to spend an evening under the stars as he

52
shoots NBC’s sitcom

44
Learning From the Best

62
Celebrating the rich history and bright future of the ASC’s educational outreach

What We Do in the Shadows — Dark Comedy

D.J. Stipsen and Christian Sprenger lend gothic atmosphere to the FX series
about ancient vampires in modern times

52
DEPARTMENTS
10
12
Editor’s Note

14
President’s Desk

72
Shot Craft: Three-point lighting • Unwanted reflections • Meter case

74
New Products & Services

75
International Marketplace
62

76
Classified Ads

78
Ad Index

80
Clubhouse News
ASC Close-Up: Stijn Van der Veken

— VISIT WWW.ASCMAG.COM —
 Web-Exclusive Centennial Coverage
Join us in honoring the
100th Anniversary of the American Society of Cinematographers!
In 1919, one of the founding tenets of the ASC was to share information and
experience among peers in order to elevate cinematography’s unique combination of
art and science. Today, the Society’s Education & Outreach Committee and
Master Class program work to further this ongoing goal.

ASC Master Class

Designed for cinematography students with an inter-
ASC Education & Outreach
mediate-to-advanced skill set, these five-day seminars
This committee programs a busy slate of free
taught by ASC members incorporate practical demon-
events for students, emerging filmmakers and
strations of lighting and camera techniques, with essen-
industry professionals in an effort to promote
tial instruction in current workflow practices and
greater understanding of the cinematographer’s
informed analysis of feature films that are relevant to
craft. To that end, ASC members volunteer their
the coursework.
time to participate in panel discussions, Q&As and
For more information — including dates of upcoming
lighting/camera seminars at the historic ASC Club-
events — go to theasc.com/asc/education/master-class
house in Hollywood and at trade shows, schools,
film festivals and other industry events around the
world.
Learn more about these initiatives at
theasc.com/asc/education.

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 J U L Y 2 0 1 9 V O L . 1 0 0 , N O . 7

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF and PUBLISHER

Stephen Pizzello
————————————————————————————————————
WEB DIRECTOR and ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
David E. Williams

EDITORIAL
————————————————————————————————————

MANAGING EDITOR Jon D. Witmer

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Andrew Fish
TECHNICAL EDITOR Christopher Probst, ASC
SHOT CRAFT EDITOR Jay Holben
DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY and WEB PRODUCER Mat Newman
DIGITAL CONTENT CREATOR Samantha Dillard
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Benjamin B, Rachael K. Bosley, John Calhoun, Mark Dillon, Michael Goldman, Jim Hemphill,
David Heuring, Noah Kadner, Debra Kaufman, Michael Kogge, Iain Marcks,
Matt Mulcahey, Jean Oppenheimer, Lauretta Prevost, Phil Rhodes, Patricia Thomson
PODCASTS
Michael Goldman, Jim Hemphill, Iain Marcks
BLOGS
Benjamin B • John Bailey, ASC • David Heuring

ART & DESIGN

————————————————————————————————————

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Marion Kramer

ADVERTISING
————————————————————————————————————

ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Angie Gollmann

323-936-3769 Fax 323-952-2140 e-mail: angiegollmann@gmail.com
ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Sanja Pearce
323-952-2114 Fax 323-952-2140 e-mail: sanja@ascmag.com
CLASSIFIEDS/ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Diella Peru
323-952-2124 Fax 323-952-2140 e-mail: diella@ascmag.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS, BOOKS & PRODUCTS

————————————————————————————————————

CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Saul Molina

SHIPPING MANAGER Miguel Madrigal
————————————————————————————————————
ASC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Eric Rodli
ASC SPONSORSHIP & EVENTS DIRECTOR Patricia Armacost
OPERATIONS/EVENTS MANAGER Alex Lopez
MEMBERSHIP ADMINISTRATOR Salvador Maldonado
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE & ACCOUNTING Thanh Lai
SENIOR ACCOUNTANT Shawnté Howard
————————————————————————————————————
American Cinematographer (ISSN 0002-7928), established 1920 and in its 99th year of publication, is published monthly in Hollywood by
ASC Holding Corp., 1782 N. Orange Dr., Hollywood, CA 90028, U.S.A.,
(800) 448-0145, (323) 969-4333, Fax (323) 876-4973, direct line for subscription inquiries (323) 969-4344.
Subscriptions: U.S. $50; Canada/Mexico $70; all other foreign countries $95 a year (remit international Money Order or other exchange payable in U.S. $).
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 American Society of Cinematographers
The ASC is not a labor union or a guild, but
an educational, cultural and professional
organization. Membership is by invitation
to those who are actively engaged as
directors of photography and have
demonstrated outstanding ability. ASC
membership has become one of the highest
honors that can be bestowed upon a
professional cinematographer — a mark
of prestige and excellence.

OFFICERS - 2018/2019
Kees van Oostrum
President
Bill Bennett
Vice President
Paul Cameron
Vice President
Cynthia Pusheck
Vice President
Levie Isaacks
Treasurer
David Darby
Secretary
Isidore Mankofsky
Sergeant-at-Arms

MEMBERS OF THE
BOARD
John Bailey
Bill Bennett
Stephen H. Burum
Paul Cameron
Curtis Clark
Dean Cundey
George Spiro Dibie
Stephen Lighthill
Karl-Walter Lindenlaub
Lowell Peterson
Cynthia Pusheck
Roberto Schaefer
John Toll
Kees van Oostrum
Amy Vincent

ALTERNATES
David Darby
Charlie Lieberman
Eric Steelberg
Levie Isaacks
Richard Edlund

MUSEUM CURATOR
Steve Gainer
8
 EDITOR’S NOTE
THIS MONTH’S The final season of Game of Thrones certainly ranks as

CONTRIBUTORS
one of television history’s most talked-about, stressed-
over and closely watched productions. Winter finally
arrived in Westeros, prompting the kind of communal
audience experience that has become increasingly rare
Simon Gray is amid today’s TV landscape, where the sheer number of
an Australia-based
traditional shows and streaming options allows all of
us to thin-slice our preferences and customize our
cinematographer (“Dark viewing queues. Throughout the eighth season of
Comedy,” p. 62). Thrones, however, office watercoolers once again
served as totemic hubs of impassioned opinion.
Jim Hemphill is a film- Season 8’s trio of accomplished cinematogra-
maker and freelance writer
phers — David Franco, Jonathan Freeman, ASC and
Fabian Wagner, ASC, BSC — offered longtime AC
(“The Great Outdoors,” contributor Jean Oppenheimer, who traveled to Northern Ireland for a three-day loca-
p. 44). tion visit, a comprehensive overview of their on-set strategies, which should persuade
even casual viewers that their methodologies were carefully considered and expertly
Jay Holben is a filmmaker implemented. This issue’s article (“Of Ice and Fire,” page 24) focuses on the first three
and an associate member
episodes of Season 8, shot by Wagner and Franco; additional coverage of Episode 6,
shot by Freeman, are coming soon to our website, ascmag.com.
of the ASC (Shot Craft, Darkness and gloom are employed to more mirthful effect on the FX horror-
p. 14). comedy mockumentary series What We Do in the Shadows, inspired by the 2014 cult
vampire film of the same title. After cinematographer D.J. Stipsen shot the feature,
Jean Oppenheimer is a Christian Sprenger was tapped for the series pilot by show creators Jemaine Clement
and Taika Waititi, whose collaboration on the hit HBO series Flight of the Conchords
Los Angeles correspon- launched them to prominence. Stipsen then returned to shoot the rest of the show’s
dent for the magazine first season, blending doc-style camerawork with stylized “gothic” environments and
(“Of Ice and Fire,” p. 24; purposefully mundane real-world settings to emphasize how ill-adapted the main char-
“Here Be Dragons,” p. 34; acters — a group of vampire housemates who have been co-mingling with and annoy-
“Ring of Fire,” p. 37). ing each other for hundreds of years — are to everyday life on Staten Island. “A scene
often started with the fictional [documentary] crew ‘arriving’ with the actors, as if we’re
all ‘on the go,’” Stipsen tells correspondent Simon Gray (“Dark Comedy,” page 62). “At
David E. Williams is the other times, the camera would hang back on longer lenses, with a lot of foreground
web director and associate elements, just observing the vampires.”
publisher (“Learning From ASC member Gregg Heschong is also “raising the bar” on NBC’s tavern-comedy
the Best,” p. 52). series Abby’s, which presents him with the groundbreaking challenge of shooting the
first multicamera sitcom staged outdoors in front of a live audience. “The situation-
comedy format has always had a theatrical aspect,” Heschong tells Jim Hemphill (“The
Great Outdoors,” page 44), “and in the past I’d worked on some outdoor productions
in summer stock and regional theater. This felt like an extension of that, and it intrigued
me right off the bat.”
One of the ASC’s most dedicated missions, realized through this magazine and
many other initiatives, is educating everyone from cineastes to serious professionals
about the art and craft of cinematography. The Society’s many years of outreach, as
well as its current and future educational endeavors, are saluted and set forth in the
special section “Learning From the Best” (page 52).
Photo by Chris Pizzello.

Stephen Pizzello
10 Editor-in-Chief and Publisher
 PRESIDENT’S DESK
Never Regret Thy Fall

From my youngest days, I have always been fascinated by the story of Icarus.
In Greek mythology, Icarus was the son of the craftsman Daedalus, who had created the
Labyrinth, a huge maze located under the court of King Minos of Crete. To keep the Labyrinth’s
existence a secret, Minos imprisoned Daedalus and Icarus in a tower. There, Daedalus hatched
an ingenious plan: He would collect the feathers of the numerous birds that roosted in the
tower, and using candlewax and thread to hold the feathers in place, he would fashion wings
for himself and his son.
When the wings were complete, Daedalus and Icarus prepared to jump from the tower
and fly to freedom. First, though, Daedalus warned his son not to fly too low to the sea, where
his wings would be weighed down by the spray; he also urged Icarus not to fly too high, as the
warmth from the sun would melt the wax that held the feathers.
Daedalus and his son leaped from the tower. As they soared across the land and toward
the sea, the citizens of Crete thought that the pair must be gods.
Soon, though, despite his father’s warning, Icarus flew too high, and the heat from the sun
began to melt the wax, sending Icarus plummeting down through the air, his wings no longer able to carry him. He splashed
into the sea and drowned.
Hailing from a country where sunlight is a rare phenomenon — at one point the Netherlands endured 345 days of cloud
cover in a one-year span — I have always regarded sunlight as a symbol of freedom and adventure. Though the so-called
“Dutch light” has inspired centuries of painters, as a photographer and a cinematographer, I find that sunlight represents not
only warmth but inspiration as it changes throughout the day, reflecting off of a body of water, creating varied and dramatic
patterns through mists and clouds, providing crimson sunsets, and more.
The mythological tale of Icarus is often recounted in the context of youth flying too high, ignoring advice and taking
unnecessary risks. In other words: “Listen to your elders.”
That interpretation, however, has never sat well with me. Instead, I’ve always been drawn to the more adventurous side
of the tale. Discover the world, push your boundaries, take risks, engulf yourself in the warm and glorious light of the sun. And,
yes, let the heat of the sun melt the wax, and let the feathers go! Only then can you experience a free-fall back to Earth, the
momentary weightlessness as you rush through the air, and the deep, cold dive into the ocean that breaks your fall.
There’s another part of the myth that’s often ignored. Icarus was also warned not to fly too low lest the seawater ruin
his wings. Indeed, flying too low is even more dangerous than flying too high because it feels deceptively safe.
Through this lens, we see that conformity does not lead to comfort. When creativity is at stake, the more desirable
option is to be unpredictable and brave.
As cinematographers, we adapt. The goal is to satisfy our hunger to seize new ground, to make powerful imagery, and
to work without a map — or a net. If you do those things, you’re an artist, and you can fly both high and low in order to bring
your best self to your work.
After Icarus’ fall, Daedalus searched for his son and finally found his body floating in the waves, his feathers scattered
by the surf. Daedalus buried Icarus nearby, in a land he named Icaria, a tribute to his son.
Fortunately for all of us, humanity’s youth — and, of course, those of us who remain young at heart — do take risks.
Had Icarus not dared to fly higher than he was cautioned, there would have been no myth, no inspiration and no Icarian Sea.

“I’ve never been certain whether the moral of the Icarus story should only be, as is generally accepted, ‘don’t try to fly
Photo by Jacek Laskus, ASC, PSC.

too high,’ or whether it might also be thought of as ‘forget the wax and feathers, and do a better job on the wings.’”
— Stanley Kubrick

Kees van Oostrum

ASC President

12 July 2019 ASC 100th Anniversary

 SHOT CRAFT
Three-point lighting — created with a key, fill and kicker — provides a basic
vocabulary for working with lights and communicating with crew.
Three-Point Lighting
I
If you reference many texts on cinematography, or if you
have taken any classes or workshops on lighting, you will
undoubtedly have encountered the concept of three-point
lighting, comprising a key, fill and kicker. This classical and
conventional lighting methodology has been passed down from
generation to generation, and it makes for a wonderful starting
point, but it’s important to understand that it’s only a starting
A clock face offers a convenient means of specifying lighting positions.
14 July 2019 ASC 100th Anniversary
By Jay Holben
point. Rather than rules that must be followed, the principles of
three-point lighting are only basic generalizations. However,
the beauty of the concept is that it gives us a basic vocabulary
for working with different lighting instruments, specifically
when using them to shape the human face.
Before we build on three-point lighting’s foundation,
let’s start with a refresher and break the concept down for
anyone who might not have encountered it before.
First, in order to have a clear conversation about lighting
positions, we need to establish our geography. For the sake of
simplicity, let’s assume that we have one actor who is directly
facing the camera. I like to use a clock face to specify lighting
positions; if we imagine the actor is positioned at the center of
a clock dial with the camera at the 6:00 position facing the
talent, then the 12:00 position is directly behind the actor —
and 3:00 is on the actor’s left, and 9:00 is on the actor’s right.
A key light coming from the camera would be at the 6:00 posi-
tion; a backlight positioned directly behind the talent would be
at the 12:00 position.
By classical definition, the key source provides the main
light that shapes the actor’s face. It is a strong, dominant
source. This is most often placed anywhere from directly
beside the actor to directly in front of him or her — anywhere
from 3:00 to 9:00 on the clock face. The classic “Rembrandt”
key position is approximately 4:30 or 7:30. (See Quick Tip, page
16.)
The fill source is, traditionally, placed on the opposite
Three-point lighting photos by Jay Holben and Kaity Williams. Diagrams by Jay Holben.
side of the face as the key light with the intention of “filling in”
the shadows created by the key. The fill is usually at a lower
intensity than the key and generally of a softer quality so that
it doesn’t create shadows of its own. Fill can be accomplished
with an additional lighting fixture or with a bounce material
that returns “wasted” light from the key back onto the actor.
When using hard-light sources, the fill light often comes from
directly above the lens so that any shadows it creates will not
be seen by the camera. (This is not to be confused with an eye
light; see Shot Craft, AC July ’18).
The kicker — also known as the backlight, rim light, edge
light, hair light or separation light — is placed behind the
subject and serves to separate them from the background by
lighting up the back of the head and the tops of the shoulders.
The kicker can be positioned above or below the actor’s
eyeline, but it always comes from behind the talent — some-
where between 9:30 and 2:30 on the clock dial. In almost all
cases, no matter how soft this source is, it will read as a hard
light due to the nature of its position. Intensity-wise, the kicker
is almost always the hottest source — i.e., the brightest —
followed by the key and then the fill.
That’s it! Now we’re ready to light anything!
 Well, not so fast. While three-
point lighting is invaluable for under-
standing the basics of classic lighting
positions, it should not be taken as a
rule for every lighting setup.
Personally, I think three-point
lighting is responsible for more confu-
sion when it comes to the subject of
lighting than any other single concept.
This is because, as we all soon discover
when we step behind the camera, it’s
popular to have the actors in a motion
picture actually move. When an actor
moves from one position to another, do
you maintain three-point lighting? Does
the lighting move with them? Should
the three points be so broad that they
cover the actor in each position?
Truthfully, it all depends on the
narrative — the story, the mood, the
time of day — as well as the environ-
ment, the individual cinematographer’s
lighting style and the individual direc-
tor’s vision.
If you’re shooting a stationary
subject such as a talking-head interview
for a documentary, three-point lighting
is a very useful technique — one that
I’ve used literally hundreds of times. Or,
if the actor walks into position and sits
down, you might have them land in a
three-point setup with a key, fill and
kicker.
But it’s important to understand
that in many other situations, your light-
ing may well not have three points. You
might be working with only a key or only
a backlight. The key, fill and kicker might
all be coming from the same side of the
subject. You might have multiple fill
lights or multiple keys. Maybe you have
a situation with a key, two fills, an edge,
a backlight, an eye light and even more!
I generally identify the key as the
primary motivated source of light,
regardless of whether it’s positioned
between 3:00 and 9:00 around the
actor. If you’re in a daytime interior and
sunlight is coming through the windows,
then the window light is most often
identified as the “key.” This is equally
true whether the windows are next to
or behind the actor; in the latter case,
the “key” light might come from
between 9:00 and 3:00, anywhere

www.ascmag.com July 2019 15

 Fill light can come from the same side as the key, creating a softer light on the key side and helping to wrap the light around the face.

behind the actor, and not even hit their
face directly! It all depends on what it is
that’s motivating the light. In a “no light”
situation, where the character is in
what’s supposed to be complete dark-
ness or an environment with no identifi-
able light source, I might use an
edge/kicker light, some fill, and no key
light at all.
The fill light does not have to
come from the opposite side of the key.
In some cases it’s quite beautiful to have
the key and the fill coming from the
same side. That might sound confusing
— how can you fill shadows from the
same side as the key light? Instead of
lowering the dynamic range by putting
light into the shadows created by the
key, the “fill” is creating a softer light on
the key side and helping to control the
way the light wraps around the face. In
this case, the fill becomes more of a
secondary key that, by combining harder
and softer sources, helps us to refine the
quality of light on the key side of the
face. This can give us the best of both
worlds: strong definition and contrast

Quick Tip
“Rembrandt” Lighting

The “Rembrandt” style of lighting refers to a classic position for a key light that
pleasantly shows off the shape of the face while making sure that both eyes are lit.
The Rembrandt style positions the key at about the 4:30 or 7:30 position; this extends
the shadow of the nose into the cheek shadow so that a triangle of light is formed
under the eye on the shadow side. The technique is named for the famous 17th-
century Dutch painter Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn — who, ironically, rarely
rendered such lighting except in his self-portraits.
A note of caution: A subject’s facial features aren’t always compatible with this
style of lighting. The angle of the light and the resulting shadows can accentuate or
even appear to exaggerate large features. Nevertheless, the Rembrandt style is often
considered to be one of the most “natural” key-light positions, and it serves as a good
starting point for many situations.

16 July 2019 ASC 100th Anniversary

 from a hard key often placed at 2:00 or
10:00 — just bordering on an edge-light
position — and softer, more “pleasing”
wrap from the fill that’s right next to it,
at the 3:30-4:00 or 7:00-8:30 position. (I
can’t think of a case where fill would
come from behind the talent, so we can
pretty safely say that fill will always
come from between, roughly, the 3:00
and 9:00 positions.)
Again, where an understanding of
three-point lighting is useful is in estab-
lishing a base vocabulary, both for your
own understanding and for communi-
cating with your crew. You can say,
“We’ll set the key here, and I’d like a
kicker from that side, back there,” and
the gaffer will immediately understand
the intention behind those sources and p A nighttime look can be created by eschewing a key light and using only a kicker and some fill.
q Dual key lights can be positioned from opposing angles.
be able to implement your requests
accordingly. If you were to instead say,
“Give me a 1K here and a 150 back
there,” the gaffer might not know why
those lights are being requested or what
their intended job is. Having a common
vocabulary allows you to work more effi-
ciently.

Field Guide
Unwanted Reflections

We recently discussed working

with specular reflections, which are
reflections of the light source used to
define the shape of a reflective object
(see Shot Craft, AC April ’19). Those are
instances when you want reflections.
This month, though, we’ll look at how to
handle situations in which you’re
confronted with reflections that you
don’t want.
I’ve seen many a crewmember, in
the heat of the moment, expend a lot of
unnecessary effort while scrambling to
solve a reflection problem. In truth,
though, the source of such reflections
doesn’t need to be hard to track down.
Luckily for us, light behaves according to
a few set rules of physics, one of which
we’ve talked about before: The angle of
incidence is equal to the angle of reflec-
tion.
So let’s use that law to help us
track down the offending source of the
reflection. First, stand at the lens of the
camera and note the angle of your vision
to the location of the reflection; if you’re
dealing with a particularly stealthy
offender’s reflection, put your head
directly in front of the lens so that your
eyes are level with it. Next, walk in a
straight line from the lens toward the
reflection; the angle at which you arrive
at the reflective surface is the exact
angle at which you’ll find the offending
source in the opposite direction.
This process is sometimes easier
if you have a laser pointer. From the lens
position, point the laser at the reflection
and wiggle it around a little. If the
surface is reflective enough — or if your
laser is bright enough — you’ll find the
laser point wiggling on the source of the
reflection like a red-faced tattletale.
(However, this technique might not
work so well if you’re dealing with glass
or another surface that will transmit or
absorb instead of reflect most of the
laser light.)
Be sure to watch out for
compound reflections, which occur
when a light source is reflected off of
multiple surfaces. Compound reflec-
tions can easily happen if you are shoot-
ing toward a corner with reflective
surfaces on both sides; the light can
reflect off of one surface, into the other,
and then toward the camera. Keep in

18 July 2019 ASC 100th Anniversary

 When dealing with an unwanted reflection, remember: The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection. That angle can
mind that the same laws of physics
apply. Trace the path of the reflection
from surface to surface and back to the
source by remembering that, at each
point of reflectance, the angle of inci-
dence is equal to the angle of reflection.
Okay, you’ve found the offending
source. Now to fix the reflection!
Sometimes the reflection stems
from light leaking around the sides of a
lighting fixture, either out of the ventila-
tion holes or between the lens and the
barn doors. This can generally be solved
by wrapping that side of the light with a
piece of black wrap to block the light
spill, but be careful not to wrap the lamp
too tightly, and be sure to not wrap the
20 July 2019
be adjusted in multiple ways.
whole lamp, especially if it’s an incan-
descent source. Wrapping the entire
lamp can trap in dangerous heat and
damage the fixture or, worse, start a
fire. Just use enough black wrap to cover
the offending light leak. Alternatively,
you might place a flag alongside the
lamp to prevent the light from hitting
the reflective surface.
At other times, the reflection
might be from the face of the light, in
which case you can’t necessarily cover
or flag the offending source, as doing so
would cut the light off of your subject or
whatever else the fixture is lighting. If
you can move the lighting fixture, that’s
often the best solution. Move it to a new
ASC 100th Anniversary
position where its angle of incidence to
the reflective surface will result in an
angle of reflection somewhere other
than to the lens. Sometimes this simply
means moving the fixture a couple
inches or a couple feet to one side or
another.
You might also be able to change
the angle of reflection by changing the
angle of the actual reflective surface in
relation to the camera. If the reflection
appears on a glass door, slightly opening
or closing the door might eliminate the
reflection without requiring you to
adjust your lighting. If the reflection is in
a glass picture frame on the wall, you
can wad up a little ball of paper tape or
 gaff tape and place it between the wall
and the lower corner of the frame,
thereby tipping the angle of the glass
enough to eliminate the reflection but
not so much that it will be noticeable to
the camera.
Finally, you can alter the reflective
quality of the reflective surface, usually
by making the surface more diffuse.
Most commonly this is done with dulling
spray or hair spray, which will “gunk up”
the surface and eliminate the specular
nature of the reflection. This can,
however, make the reflective surface
look odd, unnatural or unrealistic. There-
fore, in my opinion, this is the least desir-
able solution. In most cases it should be
a last resort, only turned to if all else
fails. u

Meter Case
Jay Holben

What’s in my meter case? Quite a lot, actually. Although I

was never a Boy Scout, I always try to be prepared, and I live by the
adage that it’s better to have something and not need it than to
need it and not have it. And so, over the years, my case has become
a varied collection of tools that I might need — and many that I use
on a regular basis.

• Pelican 1490 Laptop Case

• Sekonic L-508 C — This combination incident and spot
meter remains my favorite meter. It’s got a lot of mileage,
but it keeps on reading.
• Alan Gordon Mark V 12-to-1 Director’s Viewfinder — While
this has become fairly obsolete in the age of smartphone-
app viewfinders (such as Chemical Wedding’s Artemis), this
used to be indispensable on a set that couldn’t afford a PL-
mount viewfinder. It’s still nice to sometimes hand a direc-
tor a physical viewfinder to go play with.
• Suaoki Laser Measuring Tool
• Blue-Point MT135 Digital Probe — Primarily used as a volt-
age and continuity checker.
• Ideal E-Z Check Plus Circuit Identifier with Circuit Tester —
This is a great duo. The tester alone is terrific for checking
standard Edison outlets for power and proper wiring, and
for testing GFCI [ground fault circuit interrupter] functions.
When the tester’s plugged in, you can take the identifier to
the breaker box, and it will “ring” when it hits the breaker
that the tester is plugged into. This is an easy and unobtru-
sive way to map-out the circuits in a practical location.
• OpenX Dual Blade Package Opener — I was introduced to
this product by producer Robert Lewis, whom I worked with
on Dexter. It’s great for opening packages, cutting twine,
trimming gel, etc.
• Laser pointer — Phenomenal for communicating exactly
which fixture or pick point you’re talking about.
• Silva Ranger Type 15 — Compass and clinometer.
• Small keychain bubble level
• 6" adjustable spanner — Commonly referred to as a Cres-
cent wrench.
• Jamestown “4 in One” screwdriver
• LED flashlight
• Medium base to polarized Edison ungrounded adapter —
Also known as a “pig nose,” this is for converting a standard
bulb socket into a plug.
• Four-pack of AA batteries — For the Sekonic and my laser
tape measure.
• One pair of ear plugs — For loud locations.
• Motorola walkie-talkie headset
• Barbizon Electrician’s Handbook — A handy, pocket-sized
volume filled with tables and charts.

• Box cutter utility knife
• Leatherman Multi-Tool — I start to really date myself if you
• Pen, Sharpie and highlighter — I always have at least one
of each with me.
• And of course my iPhone, with all its various apps. I couldn’t
Photo by Jay Holben.

look at the vintage of some of these items. This one goes

back to my theater days in the late ’80s. really survive without them anymore! (For notes on specific
apps, see my posts on AC’s Instagram feed,
• Spyderco Police Model folding knife — This one dates back @american_cinematographer.)
to about 1987. It’s served me well for many, many years.

22 July 2019 ASC 100th Anniversary

 Of Ice
and Fire

David Franco, Fabian Wagner, ASC, eastern tip of the country, has been a frequent shooting

BSC, and Jonathan Freeman, ASC —

location for the series. Today, cast and crew are capturing

and a host of collaborators and

what appears to be a relatively uncomplicated scene: Jon
Snow (Kit Harington) and a few of his men have just

fellow cinematographers — dig deep pulled their rowboat into a secluded cove. Jon climbs out

into the making of Game of Thrones

By Jean Oppenheimer
The coastal regions of Northern Ireland are as well
known for their rugged beauty as for their treacherous
winds — and both were on vivid display one April after-
noon in 2018 as production was underway on the final
season of HBO’s megahit series and cultural touchstone
Game of Thrones. Ballintoy Harbor, located on the north-
of the boat and strides across the sand, where Lord Varys
(Conleth Hill) greets him.
Cinematographer Fabian Wagner, ASC, BSC and
director Miguel Sapochnik have already gotten establish-
ing shots of the beach from a 62' MovieBird perched atop
a nearby hill. As the telescopic crane lumbers down the
road to be repositioned on the sand, B and C cameras grab
wide shots from different parts of the beach.
We don’t hear the actors’ dialogue, and it’s not until
months later we learn this scene reveals a great betrayal
that helps seal the fate of a beloved character.
Just as the three cameras begin shooting coverage, a

24 July 2019 ASC 100th Anniversary

 strong gust of wind whips the sand
Unit photography by Helen Sloan. All images courtesy of HBO.

into a frenzy. While the camera crew

struggles to slip protective covers
over the three Arri Alexa SXT Plus
cameras, the rest of the cast and crew
seek shelter where they can find it —
not easy when production tents are
flapping wildly and looking as if they
might blow away. We seek refuge in
the DIT tent, where digital-imaging
technician Ian Marrs seems to be
taking it all in stride.
The show’s eighth and final
season premiered on April 14 and
concluded on May 19. We were t Queen Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) and Jon Snow (Kit Harington) are greeted by the queen’s
dragons in the eighth and final season of Game of Thrones. ppp Director David Nutter (left) and
invited to spend three days on set cinematographer David Franco with actor Lena Headey (portraying Cersei Lannister). pp Fabian
while these final six episodes were in Wagner, ASC, BSC. p Jonathan Freeman, ASC.

www.ascmag.com July 2019 25

 Of Ice and Fire
During AC ’s set visit,
the production
captured what proved
to be a portentous
meeting between Jon
and Lord Varys
(Conleth Hill).
production. At the time of this writ-
ing, crewmembers were free to
discuss Episodes 1-3, the first two of
which were shot by David Franco
and the third by Wagner. The final
three episodes — shot, respectively,
by Franco, Wagner and Jonathan
Season 2: Episodes 1 & 2
Kramer Morgenthau, ASC: Game
of Thrones shows how cinematic televi-
sion can be. It’s not just the cinematogra-
phy — it’s the writing, the production
design, the costume design, the visual
effects. What I felt reading the script was
this deep, universal story of palace
intrigue, of politics and religion, of
dysfunctional families and human rela-
tions — less fantasy and more grounded
in reality. My approach was naturalistic,
but also pushing hard on the expressive
26 July 2019
Freeman, ASC — will be covered in
an article to appear at ascmag.com.
Wagner and Freeman were honored
with ASC Awards for the Season 6
episode “Battle of the Bastards” and
the Season 3 episode “Valar
Dohaeris,” respectively.
Kramer Morgenthau, ASC
side of lighting: single source, but very
deep into chiaroscuro. Television at that
time wanted safe and bright. David
[Benioff] and Dan [Weiss] said, ‘the
darker the better.’ Their boldness with
the written word translated [to] their
visual tastes.
I feel strongly that light should
always make some logical sense, even in
fantasy. We placed 20Ks outside the
window to light day interiors of the
[Small Council chamber] at King’s
Landing [shot on a stage in Belfast].
Cersei [Lena Headey] and Tyrion [Peter
Dinklage] were in the room. We lit the
space, not just the actors’ faces, and
really pushed the extremes of light and
shadow. The light didn’t hit either actor
directly in the face — it bounced around,
hitting the floor, walls and objects in the
room, and that light then reflected and
lit Lena Headey’s face or Peter Dinklage’s
body.
We may have added a few fill
lights in the Council room, but I tried to
ASC 100th Anniversary
Episodes 1-3 take place at
Winterfell, the seat of House Stark,
where the forces of the living prepare
for, then engage in, their long-awaited
epic battle with the Army of the Dead.
Episode 1, “Winterfell,” opens with
Queen Daenerys (Emilia Clarke),
avoid both rim and backlight.
Occasionally I would use backlight,
mainly when the single source is coming
from behind the character. If I want to
separate a character from the wall, I will
separate them with color or shadow and
light — not by adding rim light. To me,
that’s gratuitous.
We were using this new medium
— digital. I inherited the camera pack-
age: Arri Alexa Classic, Cooke S4s and
Angénieux Optimo zooms. I tended to
use primes. We did a lot of tracking, but
never zoomed. I think I kept everything
around a T2. We recorded to Codex, with
a separate box on the camera, which
made it rather clumsy in the beginning.
The Old City of Dubrovnik, Croatia,
Bottom photo by Paul Schiraldi.
stood in for King’s Landing. It’s a cultural
UNESCO World Heritage Site and no
automobiles are allowed anywhere in
the city. We had to carry everything up
flights of stairs. The local crew was so
good — they had been carrying things up
250 steps for centuries!
accompanied by Jon, Tyrion
Lannister (Peter Dinklage), Varys,
and thousands of troops, streaming
over a hill, through the village, and
onto the castle grounds. The other
royal houses have already arrived.
“The camera actually starts on
a young boy running through the
snowy woods, then pushing his way
through the crowds that have gath-
ered to watch the procession,” says
the French-born Franco, who was
with the series since Season 4 and on
Season 8 worked for the first time on
this show with director David Nutter.
“Unable to find an opening, the boy
climbs a tree. The tree was a real loca-
tion, but as he climbs higher, [we cut
to a] greenscreen [shoot] on stage.
The camera pivots with the boy’s face
and reveals what he sees: row after
row of warriors snaking their way
through the countryside. The vista
and the distant soldiers were digitally
added later.”
The sequence required five
cameras. The A camera was mounted
to an Alpha Head on a 62' MovieBird,
In Winterfell’s Great Hall, Jon urges the assembled factions to set aside their differences as they prepare to face an overwhelming adversary.
Arri Rental in London provided the bulk of the camera package, as well as
other gear, which varied each season due to equipment upgrades and the unique
demands of the increasingly complex production. According to Simon Surtees at Arri
Rental’s U.K. office, more than 50 Arri Alexa cameras were used during the course
of the show’s eight seasons. He further notes that the first Alexa used on the show
was one of the first production models the company had ever made. For Season 8,
the production called upon Alexa SXT Plus cameras, as well as three production-
owned Alexa Minis with accessories from Arri Rental.
“Over the eight [seasons], Game of Thrones used every new Alexa camera as
it became available — from the Alexa Classic through the SXT Plus,” Surtees says.
“The partnership proved symbiotic with Arri’s developing the 3.2K ProRes sensor
mode in the Alexa XT for Season 6, after a conversation with Steve Beres and Eric
Hansen at HBO.”
Red Digital Cinema offered the production two Epic-M Dragon cameras, which
were used for visual-effects-heavy sequences.
The lens package consisted of Cooke S4/i primes (14mm-180mm) and
Angénieux Optimo zooms (15-40mm [T2.6], 17-80mm [T2.2], 28-76mm [T2.6], 45-
120mm [T2.8] and 24-290mm [T2.8]). Jonathan Freeman, ASC shot selected
sequences on Vantage Film Hawk V-Series anamorphics (25mm, 35mm, 40mm,
50mm, 60mm, 75mm and 100mm).
which in turn sat on a 4x4 all-terrain and operated by Sean Savage, a BSC
Scarab XL designed and built by U.K. associate and a member of the
company Alpha Grip — a package Association of Camera Operators and
requested by key grip Pat Garrett for the Society of Camera Operators. “We
Season 8. The camera was paired with had to keep repositioning all the
a 17-80mm Angénieux Optimo zoom cameras because there was so much
www.ascmag.com July 2019 27
 Of Ice and Fire

Jon takes flight

atop one of
Daenerys’ dragons.
Such sequences
involved elaborate
motion-control
work, most of
which was shot
primarily by
Gregory Middleton,
ASC, CSC.

to cover for that sequence,” Franco
recalls. “We also had a tracking car
following the men on horseback.”
Having outfitted the show with
MovieBird and ATV packages since
Season 2, Alpha Grip provided
Season 8 with an MB44 and a smaller
Scarab in addition to the larger rig.
Because Game of Thrones had
been off the air for nearly two years,
the first two episodes were intended
to reintroduce viewers to the charac-
ters, and both contain more dialogue
than action. “It’s really important for
audiences to understand where each
character is coming from emotion-
ally,” Nutter submits. “Old rivalries
remain, new ones emerge, and there
is [tension in the air].”
“The big challenge was that we
had almost all of the major players
together,” Franco remarks. “Some of
the characters had never appeared on
screen together, and we had to get
coverage of all of them from multiple
angles while maintaining consistency
of lighting — and we had to do it as
quickly and efficiently as possible.”
A daytime meeting is held in
Winterfell’s Great Hall, where Jon and
Tyrion try to convince the various
factions to put aside their differences.
Like many of the interior scenes, the
Great Hall was shot at Linen Mill
Studios in Banbridge. The leaders sit
at a front table, while others crowd
the benches of the dining tables. “We
used a crane and three dollies,”
Franco notes. “We were lining up
faces with longer lenses and then
pushing in tighter. Nutter likes to

One of the most beautiful and

emotionally touching scenes in Episode
2 takes place around a fireplace in a
corner of Winterfell’s Great Hall, and
serves as an example of how scale and
architecture can play a key role in both
storytelling and creating mood. Each of
the six characters has entered seeking
respite from the cold. They sit in a
horseshoe pattern, with Podrick Payne
(Daniel Portman) on one end and Tormund Giantsbane (Kristofer Hivju) on the other. Between them are Tyrion, Jaime,
Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) and Davos (Liam Cunningham), the latter of whom is standing. Though captured with
the aid of three dollies, the sequence is short on camera movement. Sean Savage describes the power of the scene: “These
are some of our favorite characters, but they’ve never been as isolated as they are on the eve of battle. Hence the space
[between and] around them.”

28 July 2019 ASC 100th Anniversary

work extremely fast and with a lot of
cameras.”
“We used flame bars in the fire-
place and hid 300-watt [Lowel] Rifas
nearby on a low flicker,” says gaffer
Tom Gates, who was with Game of
Thrones from its first episode through
its last. “We also had LED [LiteGear]
LiteMats on the floor, uplighting
people and benches. For close-ups,
booklights were favored. If we had
room, we’d use a 10K or 20K
[bounced into] a 12-by-12 muslin and
then through a Full Silent Grid. If we
didn’t have room, we’d use two or
three 1K Rifas, also bounced and then
put through Full Silent Grid. We
always had contrast for the faces — a
low-key wraparound and negative on
the other side.”
The first episode also includes a
brief interlude featuring Jon and
Daenerys riding dragons through
snow-covered forests and canyons.
Dragon-flying sequences required an
elaborate visual-effects rig that
combined motion control and a
Spydercam [see sidebar, page 34].
All footage of live actors riding
a motion-control base for their scenes
astride the dragons, and all motion-
control-derived shots of “dragon
fire,” were shot on Cell 4 at the Paint
Hall in the Titanic Quarter of Belfast.
The facility is commonly referred to
as Titanic Studios, as the building was
once part of the Harland and Wolff
shipyard where the famous, ill-fated
ship was built — and the term “cell”
harks back to how these spaces were
referred to in those days. In addition
to the facility’s four cells, two new
stages have been constructed.
Season 8’s motion-control work
was predominantly shot by Gregory
Middleton, ASC, CSC — who served
as main-unit director of photography
on six prior episodes spanning
Seasons 5-7. Anette Haellmigk, BVK;
Kate Reid, BSC; and P.J. Dillon, ISC
also shot some of Season 8’s motion-
control and dragon-flame work.
Haellmigk, who shot more Game of
Thrones episodes than any other cine-
Anette Haellmigk, BVK
Season 3: Episodes 4 & 5; Season 4: Episodes 2, 3, 8 & 10;
Season 5: Episodes 3 & 4; Season 6: Episodes 3 & 4
Anette Haellmigk, BVK: I joined
Game of Thrones in Season 3, and my
biggest inspiration on the show was
Kramer Morgenthau’s work. He had
introduced shafts of light coming into the
room, falling in a certain place, and then
reflecting back on the actors’ faces. You
usually still have to enhance the
reflected light, of course. I used a lot of
20K Molebeams. The pattern of the light
when it hits a wall is quite unique. It is a
very strong and focused light, but there is
modulation in it.
I am actually happiest when I have
no lights on set, and illuminate every-
thing from outside, then pick up the light
and bounce it back onto the actors.
Bounced light has a great realism for me.
There is a scene of Sansa [Sophie Turner]
sitting on her bed, sewing. The set was
tiny — just big enough for the bed.
Baelish [Aidan Gillen] approaches to
speak with her. I had a Molebeam
coming through the window next to and
slightly behind her. The light hit the wall
and bounced back onto her face. I was
able to hide a soft light to the right of her
that wrapped around a little bit more.
The stuntman who choreographed
the scene [in Season 4, Episode 8] —
depicting the fight to the death between
Prince Oberyn [Pedro Pascal] and
Cersei’s bodyguard, the Mountain
[Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson], which takes
place in a gladiator pit — was an incredi-
www.ascmag.com
ble swordsman. The production had
hired a martial-arts acrobat to do
Oberyn’s very acrobatic movements in
the wide shots, but actor Pedro Pascal
did a lot of it himself. Because of the
wide shots, it was difficult to hide equip-
ment. We had two dollies and possibly a
jib arm. The scene was plotted out
according to the sun path. We placed the
camera so the sun was backlighting the
scene. In the morning, that meant look-
ing at the audience in the stands — and
we ended the day looking at the ocean
where the sun was setting.
A mantra Bernie [executive
producer Bernadette Caulfield] instilled
in all of the DPs: ‘What do we do if we
start in sun, and then rain and clouds
come in? We just keep shooting.’ Which
means you always follow the sun-path
even if there is no sun on the day of
shooting. I shot a scene in Iceland of
Brienne [Gwendoline Christie] and the
Hound [Rory McCann] engaged in a
sword fight — and every time we
scouted, it was foggy and miserable, so
the director and I never talked about the
shooting order, assuming it would be
cloudy and foggy. What a mistake! The
day we ended up shooting, the fog
suddenly gave way to bright sunshine.
Luckily, the director wanted the scene to
look the best it could, and we quickly
adjusted our shooting order so the
actors could be in backlight.
July 2019 29
 Of Ice and Fire
Plans for the coming war against the Night King’s Army of the Dead are finalized in Winterfell’s library.
matographer, handled some of the
motion-control work in Season 7 as
well. Dillon also shot episodes of the
show from Seasons 2, 6 and 7.
Franco and Nutter collaborated addi-
tionally on Episode 2, “A Knight of
the Seven Kingdoms,” in which
preparations for the coming war are
in high gear both inside and outside
the castle. Dozens gather around a
table in the library, looking at a map of
Winterfell and strategizing for the
battle. “I did a shot on a mini-jib, start-
ing at the back of the room, with a
chandelier in the foreground, and
tracking forwards as everyone studies
the map,” recalls B-camera operator
David Morgan of this scene shot at
Linen Mill Studios. “We then cut to a
series of over-the-shoulder shots.”
Nutter and the actors had a rare
opportunity to rehearse the scene
before the day of shooting. “I had time
to put markers on the floor, which
allowed us to work faster,” the direc-
tor says. “Franco took still frames of
the angles. He is a tremendous DP
30 July 2019
and understands the light in a room in
a way that reminds me of Connie Hall
[ASC]. He can take you where you
want to go dramatically.”
Winterfell set exteriors were
constructed on an estate outside
Toome, a village in Northern Ireland.
The first season actually used a practi-
cal location, Castle Ward, but by
season’s end it was clear the produc-
tion had to find a new space and build
a custom set. Production designer
Gemma Jackson, who was with the
show for the first three seasons, based
her design on two existing castles —
Castle Ward and a palace in Scotland.
When Game of Thrones first premiered,
nobody knew how popular the series
would become, nor that so many of
the sets would need to be expanded.
Under Deborah Riley, who served as
production designer on Seasons 4-8,
the Winterfell set more than doubled
in size. For Season 8 alone she added
a second set of great gates, a 150'-by-
225' exterior courtyard, an armory,
and the castle’s sturdy outer wall.
“We approached the entire set
ASC 100th Anniversary
expansion from an attitude of how it
would serve the battle coming in
Episode 3,” Riley explains. “For exam-
ple, the design of the library was
driven by Arya Stark [Maisie
Williams] being chased through it by
[‘wights,’ the Night King’s undead
minions]. We had to make sure all the
spaces would be large enough to meet
the demands of the action.” Sections
of the farmer’s field on which
Winterfell was built were so soggy
that all of it had to be reinforced with
multiple layers of gravel and dirt
before any new construction could
begin.
Without question, Episode 3, “The
Long Night,” shot by Wagner and
directed by Sapochnik, was one of the
most daunting and arduous under-
takings of the entire series. The 75-day
shoot included 55 consecutive nights,
minus weekends, shot between late-
January and April in every kind of
weather — pouring rain, high winds,
blowing snow and freezing tempera-
tures. The episode takes place over

Season 2, Episodes 8 & 10; Season 3:
Episodes 1 & 2; Season 4: Episode 1;
Season 6: Episodes 5 & 6; Season 7:
Episode 6; Season 8: Episode 6
Jonathan Freeman, ASC: Our visual style
developed over the years. Season 1 was a
boldly brilliant, almost expressionistic style. One
of the most visually arresting scenes was the
pilot opening, shot by Alik Sakharov, ASC. The
first time you see a White Walker, it’s shrouded
in silhouette. For Season 2, we continued that
essence and extended a naturalistic approach.
Similar to Season 1, light was motivated by
sources like windows and torches. Then we
chose to let the light fall off more. If there was a
beam of light shining, it might not hit the figures
in the room, but the properties of that light,
bouncing around, would. That happens in real-
ity, and it allowed us to mold the light around
the figures, giving a natural look, while retaining
some expressionistic qualities.
Digital colorist Joe Finley [at Sim’s post
facility Chainsaw] was intrinsic in setting GoT ’s
look. All of the cinematographers had similar
sensibilities, but sometimes took different
approaches — different exposure values, differ-
ent equipment choices. Joe was able to unify it
all.
Martin Kenzie, BSC shot four episodes in
the course of a single night.
“Miguel and I broke our sched-
ule down and knew exactly what we
had to shoot every day,” says Wagner.
“There was absolutely no give in the
schedule, but we were helped by the
previs, which we had worked on for a
couple of months prior to filming.”
Previsualization was produced
by artists from visualization and
virtual-production company The
Third Floor, working with visual-
effects supervisor Joe Bauer, visual-
effects producer Steve Kullback and
all of the company’s key departments.
Members of The Third Floor team
from Los Angeles and London,
including Eric Carney, Michelle Blok,
Kaya Jabar and Pat Gehlen, worked in
the production offices in Belfast.
Sapochnik and Wagner planned
everything for four cameras, with
Wagner operating the fourth. An
unusually large number of Libra
Jonathan Freeman, ASC
Season 2 before his untimely
passing. Martin not only did
exquisite work, but he set the
standard for how we functioned
as a crew. That’s rarely discussed
as a key component of cine-
matography, but it’s critically
important. He made sure our
camera team felt they were
equally contributing to the story.
That respect for everyone on
every level started from the top,
with David [Benioff] and Dan
[Weiss], Bernie [Bernadette
Caulfield], and Chris Newman. Pressing a side button, the user could ‘pull
When we started planning Season 8, themselves up’ to different heights, as if on a
we had a new tool at our disposal — produc- crane. The controller could also measure
tion designer Deb Riley introduced us to distances from [itself] to a floor or wall,
virtual reality. Some sets were fully built, which helped determine crane heights, or if
[while others] were partially built — with set dimensions needed alteration to accom-
visual-effects extensions — and VR gave us modate camera angles.
the opportunity to explore these ‘concepts’ The controller also had a viewfinder,
before construction plans were finalized. which could capture 2D stills and video
With this 3D VR system, developed representing camera moves. This was a
by The Third Floor, we could virtually ‘scout’ bonus — we could create photo-boards of
a set, even before it was built. We used a VR our sequences and provide accurate camera
headset, with a hand controller, and ‘walked data, like position and focal length. Using the
through’ the virtual set, which was a 3D same 3D software, The Third Floor was able
model of Deb’s plans. Using the controller, to input this data into their previs. The whole
we explored angles like a real location. process saved weeks of time.
heads were pressed into service on two or three Libra heads,” Savage
Episode 3. Five or six were used, with submits. “We ended up with nine of
a couple of them locked off on cranes. them [employed on various units] on
“I have been on some of the biggest Episode 5!”
shoots in the world and we only had The Libra heads and other
Condor-supported lights provide “moonlight” ambience from above the Winterfell castle set.
www.ascmag.com July 2019 31
 Robert McLachlan, ASC, CSC
Season 3: Episodes 9 & 10;
Season 4: Episodes 4 & 5;
Season 5: Episodes 9 & 10;
Season 7: Episodes 4 & 5
Robert McLachlan, ASC, CSC:
Showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss
had very high expectations for the Season
3 “Rains of Castamere” — aka the Red
Wedding — episode, and director David
Nutter and I were intent on hitting it out
of the park. We knew if the audience were
sure they were going to get the happy
ending they so badly wanted, they’d go
down that much harder when the rug got
pulled out. My goal was to visually lead
the viewer to believe they were going to
get the happy ending they were dying for.
There were three scenes in that
castle — the tense audience chamber
when Robb Stark [Richard Madden] has to
apologize and grovel, the wedding itself,
and the banquet where things go from
festive to horrific. In the first scene I
wanted the castle to be as cold and
gloomy as ever, so viewers would feel that
things could go either way for their hero.
Later, in the wedding scene, we intro-
duced some warmer tones and a bit more
fill, and the mood lightens. But in the
banquet hall, I wanted it to feel as close to
a ‘Disney movie’ as the show would ever
get, in order to give the audience the
subconscious feeling that everything was
going to turn out great.
The problem was, though, that I
also didn’t want it bright and happy when
the massacre began. So I had the art
department dress the set with around
32 July 2019
double the amount of candlesticks and
torches that we would normally have.
These would provide most of the light for
the scene, apart from some heavily
diffused and dimmed space lights high
overhead. With the producers’ blessing, I
had the revelers pick up most of the
torches and candles and take them with
them to light the procession when the
time came to escort the bride and groom
out of the hall to the bedchamber.
Meanwhile, we dimmed the overhead
soft light till it was off, thus organically
and imperceptibly removing the light and
leaving us in ominous gloom.
I also had a couple of Dedolight
Octodomes off to the side for some
close-ups. The 5-foot and 7-foot units
were put through 12-by-12 pieces of Grid
Cloth. We added Half Straw gel on them
to warm them up and make them feel a
bit more golden. I generally only used
them when actors were too far from
candles to be adequately lit. I had to
watch [the candles] carefully, though,
because if one burned out on one side of
an actor, it would throw off the desired
contrast ratio!
Going in, I knew there’d be no time
for second takes when the mayhem
began. [We] doubled the normal ISO to
1,600 for that scene — in part so the
flames would retain more detail without
blowing-out while the shadows fell off
quicker, and to allow a 4-stop on the
Angénieux 24-290 lenses we used on a
couple of the three dolly-mounted
cameras.
ASC 100th Anniversary
Of Ice and Fire
equipment were provided by
Camera Revolution in London.
Lights were supplied by Panalux. In
addition to Alpha Grip and from
Garrett himself, grip gear was
procured from Arri Rental in
London, as well as such sources as
Belfast-based Balloo Hire, HSS Hire
and Beattie Crane Hire. Arri Rental
provided the camera package and
other gear as well.
“We had four 20-by-20 soft
boxes rigged on cranes 130 feet in the
air, serving as ambient moonlight,”
Wagner notes of the setups for
Episode 3. “Each soft box had 60
[Arri] SkyPanels. We would usually
put big silks underneath the soft
boxes, but we decided not to this
time. The wind in Northern Ireland is
too unpredictable over 55 nights, and
I knew that we would get some
tough weather — so we made water-
proof housings for each of the
SkyPanels [in] each soft box, and
then diffused them inside. This way
they could stay up for longer, even in
strong winds.”
Condors were used to suspend
the soft boxes — yet even with the
articulated lifts’ enormous weight,
the wind was so strong that the rigs
had to be anchored to the ground.
“We hooked the [condors] onto
cement blocks that we buried in the
earth,” Gates recalls. “Some nights,
though, the wind was so bad we
couldn’t use them at all.”
“We also rigged lights off the
actual set,” Wagner says, “placing
Quarter Wendys on each of the
towers and outer walls, for when
high winds precluded using the soft
boxes.”
In addition, three or four
cranes with Full Wendys, diffused
with Half Grid, played as side- and
backlight. “The night starts very still
Photo by Macall B. Polay.
and calm, with a cold, blue moon-
light filling the sky,” Wagner notes.
“We dialed in Steel Blue for the
SkyPanels and matched the Wendys
with filters.”
Scissor lifts — which were easy

to move and could be parked wher-
ever needed — sat off to the sides of
the set, holding Quarter Wendys.
Regarding their filtration, Gates notes
that Steel Blue was employed for
moonlight, Full CTS for firelight, and
Full CTO for torches.
“Because of the extraordinary
number of actors, extras, stunt riders
and horses, and the sheer size of the
set, I opted for big sources farther
away,” Wagner says. “That made it
easier to shoot with four cameras. For
more intimate shots, I would bring
smaller units closer to the actors. I
would change diffusion on the
Wendys, depending on the shot we
were doing.” Gates adds, “Most
diffusion was Full Silent Grid for
[maximum] softness, but we did mix
it up sometimes with 1 ⁄4 and 1 ⁄2 Silent
Grid [to make it] slightly harder,
which also worked for many setups.”
Wagner recalls, “We had about 30
Wendys around the set in various
positions.”
It took four weeks to rig the
battle scenes — laying cables, putting
Firelight — bolstered by an array of lighting instruments — overtakes the moonlight look as Episode 3’s nighttime battle rages on.
up cranes, rigging the lights. “In my
42 years in the business, it is the
biggest setup I have ever seen,” Gates
attests.
When later asked about view-
ers’ reactions to the episode’s light-
ing, Wagner remarks, “Aside from all
the stuff that has gone around the
media and internet over the last
couple of weeks — broadcast signals,
TV calibrations, the amount of ambi-
ent light in the rooms — all of it plays
its part. However, the most important
point that I made about the darkness
of Episode 3 was that it was a creative
decision of what not to see. I wanted
to artistically evoke and communi-
cate the story through the absence of
light — which is just as important as
adding light — and therefore enhance
the emotional storytelling of this
particular episode.”
As those defending Winterfell
are making final preparations, a
strange stillness hangs in the air — as
well as a palpable sense of anxiety
and foreboding. These scenes are shot
in a classical manner with smooth
www.ascmag.com
TECH SPECS
1.78:1
Digital Capture
Arri Alexa SXT Plus, Alexa Mini;
Red Epic-M Dragon
Cooke S4/i, Angénieux Optimo,
Vantage Film Hawk V-Series
dolly moves. When the battle begins,
however, a more handheld look was
adopted. “David Morgan, our B-
camera operator, is amazing on long
lenses,” Wagner reports. “[He] was
picking up things that would
normally get lost, especially in such
huge scenes with so many people and
so much action. C-camera duties were
shared by operators Will Waring and
John Ferguson.”
The long-lens shots for the
sequence in which the dead manage
to cross the flaming trench around
July 2019 33

Dragons commanded
the sky in Episode 3 of Game
of Thrones’ eighth season,
engaging in a midair dogfight
and spewing death and
destruction by strafing the
land with fire. Dragon maneu-
vers on the ground were
equally impressive. Much is
owed to the ingenuity and
hard work of the visual-
effects, special-effects and
motion-control units on the
iconic series for making these
mythical creatures seem Vladimir Furdik (portraying the Night King) sits atop the motion-control gimbal that
was used to capture shots of characters riding on the backs of dragons.
beautifully, terrifyingly real.
Lead visual-effects supervisor Joe
Bauer and lead visual-effects producer
Steve Kullback worked with a team from
The Third Floor, a visualization and virtual-
production company with offices in Los
Angeles and London. The assembled crew
worked out of the show’s production
offices in Belfast.
“Joe is the creative visionary,”
Kullback attests. “He turns conversations
and storyboards into shots. He sits down
with the previs team and designs whole
scenes. He is the conduit from showrun-
ners David Benioff and [D.B.] Weiss — and
from each episode’s director — to the
shots.”
Gregory Middleton, ASC, CSC was
the motion-control unit’s director of
photography on Season 8, working out of
Cell 4 at Titanic Studios. He was responsi-
ble for lighting and shooting Daenerys
Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), Jon Snow (Kit
Harington) and the Night King (Vladimir
Furdik) riding their dragons.
Many steps were required,
however, before anybody set foot on the
stage.
First, previsualization supervisor
Michelle Blok, of The Third Floor, and her
team of artists created their emulations of
the midair combat. “[Director] Miguel
[Sapochnik] and Fabian [Wagner, ASC, BSC
would talk] us through how they envis-
aged the battle — and we created a 3D
animation of it based on their input.
Miguel has a very strong storytelling vision
and it includes how he wanted light and
dark to play, so we started incorporating
34 July 2019
Here Be Dragons
worked out and had been
approved by Sapochnik,
Benioff and Weiss, a techvis
playbook was devised. “The
actual creation of the tech
playbooks was led by
Michelle Blok, working with
her team,” Bauer notes —
after which, he says, the play-
books were reviewed and
approved by Bauer and
Carney.
“We take a given shot
and translate it into a series of
charts and graphs that repre-
sent where the cameras go,
that into our [animation]. You can tell relative to the performance, set, crew,
where you are, geographically and in [equipment] and environment,” Kullback
terms of the story, by the color of the says. “It ends up as a very elaborate, multi-
light and where it is coming from, [with page document, spelling out the elements
blue for moonlight and red for the required for each and every shot.”
trench].” Blok’s team also integrated the The photographed background
needs of stunts, effects and the art plate, previs, and dragon “pre-animation”
department into the animation. — the latter of which was “handled by the
The next step was techvis — hero dragon vendors, primarily Image
deciding how the previs’d plan of action Engine,” Bauer says — and playbook were
was going to be achieved. Eric Carney, provided to The Third Floor’s Kaya Jabar,
additional visual-effects supervisor and the motion-control supervisor for dragon-
one of The Third Floor’s founders, flight shots. Jabar was responsible for repro-
reports, “Joe Bauer and I determined the ducing the dragons’ movements, as well as
elements we needed, such as what to the camera movements and angles, for the
shoot as the background plate, where to in-camera work with the actors on their
place the cameras, what lenses to use — dragons. This work generally required the
and do we require greenscreen? creation of a motion-control program.
“We tried to shoot [the plates] “Greg and I designed all of the
from multiple angles simultaneously elements when the three characters are
whenever possible,” Carney continues. riding their dragons,” Jabar notes. “We
“We often used as many as five cameras decided what pieces of photography would
[frequently comprising a combination of be needed in the shot, how to design the
Arri Alexa SXT, Alexa Mini and Red Epic- interaction between the actor and the digi-
M Dragon units] to shoot elements for tal animal, and how fast the camera needed
five to six visual-effects shots in a single to be traveling. We would look at the digital
take.” visualization and then start figuring out how
Carney further notes that it could be filmed in such a way that, when
Newman directed all 2nd-unit work, with later composited, the action would look as
Jamie Harcourt often serving as the main if it had all been shot for real.”
operator. “Kate [Reid, BSC] was our DP The central mechanism of the
for a good stretch, and then we brought motion-control base (aka the “buck”) on
in Richard Donnelly to finish,” he reports. which the actors sat during their scenes on
“We also had Anette [Haellmigk, BVK] as their respective dragons was a gimbal with
well. With often three units shooting, six hydraulic pistons that pitched, rolled,
there were a lot of key people bouncing and heaved up and down. Completing the
around as needed.” illusion that the characters were indeed
Once the various elements were astride the mythical creatures was a physi-
ASC 100th Anniversary
cally constructed “dragon-back” rider’s
mount, which was “modeled by the visual-
effects house Pixomondo in Germany,”
Jabar reports.
“We would figure out where the
actors would be sitting and we’d 3D-print
that, so that [specific] part of the dragon
would be an exact match to the [final
onscreen] dragon-back,” she continues.
“We then placed the 3D-printed dragon-
back on top of the motion base.”
“The fiberglass bucks [were]
modeled off of laser-cut polystyrene
[bucks, which in turn] were derived directly
from the digital models, scaled 1-to-1,”
Bauer notes. “The bucks were then
scanned to aid the postproduction work of
actually affixing the actors to the dragon
surface.”
The motion-control footage was
shot with an Arri Alexa Mini. “To hold the
camera, we had a Spydercam and Mini
Libra-head [rig] that was modified just for
us,” Jabar says. The Spydercam was
controlled by Todd “Hammer” Semmes,
one of the company’s owners. “In order to
move the camera quickly in [our] limited
space, we had to increase its acceleration,”
Jabar notes. “‘Libra technician Michael
Buxton sliced off a piece of the Libra head,
which meant it could swing more easily,
and thus stabilize itself at higher speeds.
[Motion-control technician] Ian [Menzies]
and I also designed a little wedge piece that
we could slot under the dragon’s back. It
allowed the gimbal to tilt 40 degrees up and
down — [in excess of] 20 degrees [more
than] it could do without the wedge.”
This proved especially helpful when
the dragons made vertical dives, and Jon
and Daenerys appear to struggle not to
slide off the creatures. For the battle
between the Night King and Jon, “We
mounted the camera on the Mini Libra
head,” Middleton recalls. “We had special
brackets made to mount the camera on its
side, but at a 90-degree angle. Jon and the
Night King had to be looking at each other
as they face off. Getting the eyeline correct
and Jon reacting when the undead dragon
tries to bite him were both extremely diffi-
cult.”
Determining how to light this
dogfight between dragons Rhaegal and the
Night King-controlled Viserion was one of
Middleton’s most challenging tasks. Not
only was it nighttime, but the Night King
had unleashed a swirling storm of snow
and fog. The lighting thus needed to be
somewhat diffuse and fairly low-contrast,
even though the dragons themselves
were quite darkly hued. Until the trench is
lit on fire, the only illumination comes
from the blue moonlight, which is often
obscured by the storm.
“In the studio, we created a giant
imitation sky made of silks, with 200 [Arri]
S60 SkyPanels above them,” Middleton
says. “We essentially treated the
SkyPanels as pixel screens. In order to
create a sense of motion, we sculpted the
lighting by shading the silks above us. We
would program a mixture of shaded
areas, and use media elements of smoke
or clouds to run that pattern through our
‘sky.’ This process of programming light
and dark areas [is] known as pixel
mapping, and [in this case created] the
feeling of clouds and smoke passing
over.”
In addition to their use in the over-
head rigging, SkyPanels — diffused with
20'x20' muslins — were also affixed to
lifts jockeying for position amid the
Spydercam wires and cables. Lighting was
placed on the ground as well, below the
dragon-back motion-control base,
“mostly [to simulate] lighting from the
battlefield, the trench fire or interactive
dragon fire,” Middleton says.
Jabar notes that while the
Spydercam, Libra head and motion base
were generally programmed ahead of the
shoot — in order to achieve the motion-
control objective of capturing multiple
passes of precisely the same series of
movements — “there were times when
Miguel didn’t want them prepro-
grammed, [and instead] wanted to
[manually] control the dragon motion
base to better reflect what the actors
were experiencing emotionally — so I
used a joystick and took direction directly
from Miguel. He wanted to be close on
the actors’ faces, so Greg stood on a high
platform and shot them handheld.”
The joystick Jabar refers to is a
small puppeteering rig, which is “a minia-
www.ascmag.com
ture version of the motion base [that] has
been encoded with a multiplier,” she
explains. “It has tiny pistons and would
follow whatever my hand would do.” That
information was sent to Flair — a motion-
control software application manufac-
tured by Surrey, England-based Mark
Roberts Motion Control — which trans-
lated Jabar’s hand movements into the
scaled-up distance needed to move the
large motion base. Other than this occa-
sional use of manual operation, the
dragon-base movement was pre-
programmed via Autodesk Maya.
In addition to the Spydercam, two
other cranes were used for motion-
control work — a Technocrane
Technodolly and a Bolt High Speed
Cinebot rig.
The dragons themselves were
designed by Los Angeles-based creature
designer and modeler Dan Katcher, work-
ing in tandem with Pixomondo. “[The
dragons] were little tykes when they first
appeared in Season 2,” Kullback recalls,
“and Dan has been with us from that point
on. He worked independently and also in
concert with Pixomondo, our original
‘dragon wranglers’ in Seasons 2, 3 and 4.
In season 5, Pixomondo was joined by
Rhythm & Hues. In Season 6, Image
Engine, based in Vancouver, and Madrid’s
El Ranchito also came on board.” Bauer
adds, “Weta and Scanline additionally
handled dragon animation.”
Anette Haellmigk, BVK; Kate Reid,
BSC; and P.J. Dillon, ISC shot some of the
motion-control and dragon-flame work on
Season 8 as well.
Motion-control supervisor Casey
Schatz, another Game of Thrones veteran
from The Third Floor, came to Belfast to
help shoot the dragon-flame elements.
These were recorded by using
programmed dragon motion and head
movement to drive real pyrotechnics and
rigs courtesy of special-effects supervisor
Sam Conway and the Spydercam team.
For this, a Blackmagic camera was affixed
to the top of a Libra head-mounted
flamethrower, to act as a “fire POV” for
test runs before igniting the
flamethrower.
— Jean Oppenheimer
July 2019 35
 Of Ice and Fire
p Shots of the Dothraki forces charging toward the Night King’s army were
captured in front of a massive greenscreen constructed in Magheramorne Quarry.
t Horse master Camilla Naprous.
the operator recalls. “I
used an OConnor head
with the fluid wound
Winterfell and climb the wall, breach- down, so that it took the smoothness
ing the castle, were captured with the out to make it appear more like hand-
aid of 24-290mm Optimo glass, in held. We shot close-ups on the zoom
turn mounted to cameras on tripods at the telephoto end, and my focus
or dollies, Wagner explains. puller, Marc Atherfold, did an amaz-
For Morgan’s long-lens work, ing job at wide-open apertures!”
the camera was “mounted on a dolly,” Meanwhile, the MovieBird-
The armory was one of the very few inte-
riors actually built at the Winterfell location.
The area had served as the kennel where
Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon) is eaten alive
by his dogs at the conclusion of the “Battle
of the Bastards” episode in Season 6.
Australian production designer Deborah
Riley (pictured here) transformed the space
into the armory specifically for Season 8.
36 July 2019 ASC 100th Anniversary
mounted SXT Plus was paired with
the 17-80mm Optimo, as was gener-
ally the production’s standard. The
handheld cameras carried shorter,
lighter-weight zooms — either 15-
40mm or 28-76mm.
“The episode was especially
difficult for our focus pullers,”
Wagner notes. “It was all nighttime
shooting and all the lenses were
zooms. I shot the entire episode
between a T2.81⁄2 and a T4 — pretty
much wide open. All of the 1st ACs
did an amazing job. I’d like to make
special mention of Borja
Berrosteguieta, who was focusing for
me on the fourth camera. I would
often jump in at the very last minute
and he barely had time [to react]. Our
other focus pullers included Jamie
Phillips on A camera, Marc Atherfold
on B, and Sam Donaghy-Bell on C.”
A harrowing shot of Arya being
pursued down the castle corridors by
wights was accomplished using a
Maxima gimbal supplied by Camera
 Of Ice and Fire
Multiple cameras — including one on a telescopic crane — frame up on the Night King (Vladimir
Furdik) as he approaches the castle gates.
Revolution. “It’s a [three-axis], stabi-
lized, handheld rig that acts as a
remote head,” Savage explains. “The
Maxima has two concentric circles
with an Alexa Mini in the center, and
can be carried by either one or two
[crewmembers]. The unit has a remote
link, and I control it with hand wheels
while sitting at a monitor. When it
was a single-person operation, A-
camera dolly grip Andy Woodcock
carried it. He has a great understand-
ing of it, and I can communicate with
him as he runs with it.”
In these solo situations, which
were the most frequent, the Maxima
was secured to a vest that Woodcock
Although the forces of the living
comprise thousands of fighters, they are
no match for the dead. The survivors
quickly retreat inside Winterfell and the
trench around the castle is set aflame.
“We actually lit the trench on location,”
cinematographer Fabian Wagner, ASC,
BSC says of the pivotal sequence in
Episode 3.
“When the trench is lit, the color of
the fire drowns out the moonlight,”
Wagner continues. “The longer the battle
wages, the more it seems as if the living
are losing the war, and the deeper, darker
and redder the flames become.” To
enhance the vermilion color, full CTO was
38 July 2019
wore as he maneuvered the rig with
the aid of a pair of spring-loaded
arms. This was the case with Episode
3’s opening sequence, in which a terri-
fied Samwell Tarly (John Bradley)
receives his weapons and exits the
armory into the open courtyard —
with the Maxima rig staying on him
until he crosses paths with Tyrion, at
which point the camera joins the
latter. The smooth tracking shot
completes when Bran Stark (Isaac
Hempstead Wright) is wheeled past
Tyrion en route to his serving as bait
for the Night King (Vladimir Furdik).
As was standard when he wielded the
rig in this way, Woodcock was
Ring of Fire
added to the 30 or so Quarter Wendys
scattered around the set.
Once the fire started, Wagner
would either switch off the soft boxes to
kill the moonlight, or he would change
the color temperature of the Arri
SkyPanels within the soft boxes — which
could be accomplished remotely, as all
lights were on dimmers and controlled
with an iPad. Only at the end of the
battle, when the fire in the trench slowly
dies out, does the blue moonlight return.
Wagner adds that though “the
Army of the Dead is meant to be stand-
ing [right next to] the trench as it lights
up, you obviously couldn’t have people
ASC 100th Anniversary
assisted by Maxima technician Clive
Williams, who notes, “I was leading
and spotting Andy backwards
through the set [with the aid of two
handles on the back of the vest], but
Andy was holding the rig and doing
the hard part with Sean.”
Arya’s chase through the halls,
however, “was an occasion where we
were running backwards at speed,”
Woodcock says. “In those cases, I’d
take the vest off and Clive and I
would each get a side of the rig.”
Daenerys’ two remaining drag-
ons — as well as the one now under
the control of the Night King — are
prominent warriors in the battle
between the living and the dead.
There were many components to the
dragon sequences, including the
visual-effects rendering of the drag-
ons; motion-control shots of
Daenerys, Jon and the Night King
riding the creatures; practical fire
elements to serve as the dragons’
flames; and greenscreen reaction
shots of actors, extras and horses,
accompanied by interactive lighting
to mimic the effect of firelight.
After wrapping at the Toome-based
Winterfell set, the production moved
to Magheramorne Quarry, an aban-
doned limestone excavation site
anywhere near there.” To accomplish the
effect, Wagner explains, “We brought in
all the performers, and they’d be stand-
ing right next to the trench and reacting
— but with no fire. We set up lights to do
an interactive pass, so the people stand-
ing by the trench had the effect of the
flames on them. Later, [we did] a special-
effects shot on stage with a flamethrower
to create the actual flames. Special-
effects supervisor Sam Conway was
onstage for that. Once you put the two
together, you have a trench with a fire
and people right next to it. In addition to
fire effects, Sam and his team handled
smoke, fog and storm effects.”
 Of Ice and Fire
The final shots we witness while on our Game of
Thrones visit take place on the Winterfell set outside
Toome, for a scene in Episode 4, “The Last of the Starks,”
shot by David Franco and directed by David Nutter.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (portraying Jaime Lannister)
stands by his horse as Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of
Tarth) walks across the courtyard and approaches him.
They speak intimately. She puts her hands on his face.
Two dollies — about a foot or so apart and each carrying
an Arri Alexa SXT Plus camera — sit on tracks 2 or 3 yards
behind Coster-Waldau. Operator Sean Savage is on the A
camera and David Morgan is on B. “Whenever two
cameras were close together, Sean would be on a wider
lens and I would be on a longer lens,” Morgan says.
Franco notes the approximate respective focal lengths
as 40mm and 100mm. Months later, we learn that this
encounter between the two characters represents the
final call of Jaime’s heart.
enlisted for the episode’s nighttime
greenscreen work. “We wanted to
shoot as much as possible in-
camera,” the cinematographer notes
— and adds that the production
needed to shoot somewhere other
than the Winterfell set proper when
the story required “a huge space that
could accommodate 60 galloping
horses. We built a large L-shaped
Cast and crew prepare for the Night King’s final move.
40 July 2019
greenscreen in the quarry. It was 150'
wide by 450' long. We needed the
space both for the horses to gallop
and also for crowd replication.”
This was an example of a setup
for which previs and technical
diagrams by The Third Floor helped
outline certain requirements for the
location, such as the size and shape of
the large greenscreen. The company
ASC 100th Anniversary
reports that its artists “worked more
than two weeks just simulating the
horse charges and visualizing the
related tech.”
Horses were provided — and
trained — by horse master Camilla
Naprous, whose family-owned busi-
ness, The Devil’s Horsemen, is one of
the leading film-industry horse
suppliers in Europe.
Magheramorne Quarry was
“also where we did many of the inter-
active lighting effects,” Wagner
continues. “We had SkyPanels light-
ing the greenscreen, with some 40
20Ks along [its] scaffolding. We also
had 10 or 12 Quarter Wendys on a big
platform right next to the greenscreen.
They were spaced out over 100 feet.
On a certain cue, I would trigger light
No. 1 to come on — and then 2, 3, 4, 5
and so on. [It’s] like a chase. When
you are halfway through — say on
Wendy No. 5 — you turn the first light
off. Then No. 2 goes off, as if the
dragon has flown by.”
Each of these sequences had to
be captured in two parts — one part
would be reaction shots, and the
other would be the shooting of the
practical flames without any actors
present.
For a shot in which a dragon
 Of Ice and Fire
Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) awaits his destiny.
flies past Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj
Coster-Waldau) and the background
explodes in a fireball, Wagner notes,
“The camera was looking toward
greenscreen, and Jaime was fighting
42
in the foreground. At a certain cue, the
Wendys went off and gave the effect
that the firelight was wrapping
around Jaime from right to left, as he
looked up to see the dragon go by. The
flame portion of the shot was done on
stage by [special-effects supervisor]
Sam [Conway] and his team.”
Offering praise to the crew, the
cinematographer adds, “After one
day of 400 people and 60 horses
stomping on the ground, you were
standing in two feet of mud. The loca-
tion and art departments would come
in every day to fill the muddy holes
with gravel and re-dress the set before
we returned that night. The snow
team would also come in every day
and fill in the holes.
“Tom Gates is an amazing
gaffer,” Wagner continues. “He
always had things ready for us. He
would be jumping from one DP to
another in a single season, catering to
all of us and doing it in such a lovely
and professional way.”
“The other big part of Episode 3 was
done on stage,” Wagner says. Indeed,
the cells at Titanic Studios were in full
swing, with crews shooting simulta-
neously — Sapochnik and Wagner on
one cell; producer Chris Newman
directing 2nd unit alongside Kate
Reid, BSC on another; and Middleton
overseeing motion control on Cell 4.
“I would go between all of them,”
Wagner says. “I brought Kate in to
shoot 2nd unit because Miguel had
more to shoot for Episode 3, and then
[he needed to start] prepping for
Episode 5 as well.
“The stage work was pretty
straightforward,” he adds. “We were
shooting certain elements that were
hard to do on location because of
weather or safety concerns. One
entire stage was blacked out. [The art
department designed] the floor to
match the Winterfell exterior, but we
shot everything into black.
“We attempt to shoot every-
thing — including smoke, snow and
flames — for real on location,”
Wagner continues. “[But] sometimes
we can’t, as when the weather is bad,
and those are the shots that are picked
up later [on a stage].”
A portion of the castle wall was
re-created on one of the stages to
shoot some of the hand-to-hand
combat — while Cell 2 contained an
80'-long section of the trench, as it was
a much safer environment to do close-
up flame work, such as stunt people
catching on fire. The trench was built
on a rostrum so Conway and his team
could work underneath it.
In order to maintain lighting
continuity, the cinematographers
employed many of the same fixtures
onstage as were used on location.
A small amount of greenscreen
footage was actually shot at the
Winterfell location by Newman and
2nd unit. “When we wrapped for the
night, I would leave my lighting setup
intact, which allowed Chris to come in
the next night and shoot in the same
lighting environment,” Wagner
reports. “They would bring in one or
two 20-by greenscreens and shoot
crowd replication, people fighting,”
while the main unit would move on
to another part of Winterfell.
In discussing their work on the
show, Franco and Wagner spoke not
only about how exciting it was to
work on Game of Thrones, but also
about how privileged they felt to be
part of it. “Both the cast and crew
were so committed to doing the
show,” Franco attests. “I have rarely,
if ever, experienced such a wonderful
atmosphere.”
Additional reporting by Andrew
Fish.
Coverage of Episodes 4, 5 and 6 is
coming soon to ascmag.com. u
43
The Great
Outdoors
The “Colonial Street” section of the Universal Studios
backlot offers a veritable tour through motion-picture
history. The houses here have been used in everything
from comedy favorites such as Animal House and The
’Burbs to classic melodramas like Written on the Wind and
The Desperate Hours (1955) — plus the Burt Reynolds-Dolly
Parton musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. The
street’s starring roles haven’t been limited to the big
screen, either. Landmark television series that have called
44 July 2019 ASC 100th Anniversary
Gregg Heschong, ASC
shoots the multicamera
sitcom Abby’s outdoors
and in front of a live
audience
By Jim Hemphill
Colonial Street home include Leave It to Beaver, Matlock,
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Desperate Housewives.
When AC visits the studio in November 2018,
Colonial Street has been dressed as the location of the NBC
series Abby’s, which is making its own mark in the annals
of television history as the first multicamera sitcom to
shoot outdoors in front of a live audience.
Cinematographer Gregg Heschong, ASC says that
this unconventional approach was the plan right from the
 t The sitcom Abby’s shoots on an outdoor set at
Unit photography by Ron Batzdorff, Paul Drinkwater, Chris Haston and Justin Lubin, SMPSP.

Universal Studios. p Abby (Natalie Morales)

lends an ear to Fred (Neil Flynn), a regular at her
backyard bar. u Cinematographer Gregg
Heschong, ASC.
Additional photos provided by Gregg Heschong, ASC. All images courtesy of NBC.

beginning — and a key part of the

project’s appeal. “When I first met
with [series creator] Josh Malmuth, he
already had this idea to shoot
outdoors, and it really appealed to
me,” Heschong explains. “The situa-
tion-comedy format has always had a
theatrical aspect to it anyway, and in
the past I’d worked on some outdoor
productions in summer stock and
regional theater. This felt like an
extension of that, and it intrigued me
right off the bat.”
Once he was on board, though,
Heschong then had to figure out how
to actually make the plan work. “It
occurred to me, ‘How are we going to
realize something like that?’” he
recalls, laughing. “It was just a plot of
land. We had the beginnings of a set
but no structure to support the light-
ing and rigging of a show. Even the
camera aisle had to be created. I even-
tually had the Universal grip depart-
ment erect one vertical truss tower to
the downstage camera-left area, to
allow a cable run for balloon support
and Leko placement.”
The production uses various
parts of Colonial Street, but the main
set, where most of the action takes
place, is an outdoor bar that has been
constructed on that “plot of land” at
the far end of the “neighborhood.”
The series revolves around an unli-
censed drinking establishment that
Abby (Natalie Morales) has created in
her backyard — much to the chagrin
of her new landlord Bill (Nelson
Franklin) — and that serves as a social
hub for an eccentric group of friends

www.ascmag.com July 2019 45

 The Great Outdoors
p Heschong worked closely with the art department to incorporate practical lighting throughout the set.
q The cinematographer also had truss added above the audience seating area in order to rig additional units.
and acquaintances.
The set’s unique atmosphere is
immediately striking when AC visits
during a live recording. The casual
camaraderie of the regulars at Abby’s
bar extends to the audience, who are
seated in the open air without any of
the more defined parameters of a
soundstage. In Heschong’s opinion,
both the audience and the actors get
something special from the environ-
ment. “It energizes the actors and
adds authenticity to their perfor-
46 July 2019
mances, no question,” he asserts.
“And for the audience, it’s like going
to a concert at the Hollywood Bowl —
a summer sitcom under the stars!”
Given these unusual circum-
stances, Heschong felt it was impera-
tive that the lighting be integrated
with the production design. He
remembers, “One of my first ques-
tions when I met for the show was,
‘Have you settled on a production
designer?’ Glenda Rovello was
already on board, and she and art
ASC 100th Anniversary
director Conny Boettger-Marinos
already had a lot of images they had
presented in their initial pitch to NBC.
Glenda and I have worked together
before on the series $#*! My Dad Says
and One Big Happy, [and] we have
also done a few pilots together, so I
knew it would be a great collabora-
tion. We started with what she and
Conny already had, then I brought in
other suggestions and we went from
there. I knew from the get-go that this
was going to be an evolutionary
project — this was not a case where
we were going to walk onto a stage
and say, ‘The ceilings are this high,
we’re going to seat this many people,
we have this many sets,’ and so on.”
Heschong says that he and
Rovello embraced a “found art”
aesthetic in which they incorporated
aspects of the surroundings into the
set just as Abby would have in build-
ing her bar. “We started out in the
middle of what was essentially a
parking lot,” the cinematographer
explains. “There was some kind of
electric junction box sitting out there
that couldn’t be moved, so it became
an integral part of the set — a little
green house thing that Glenda
created, which housed Abby’s period
jukebox.”
Heschong opted for a lighting
style that mirrored the found-art
methodology of the production
design. “I had a number of conversa-
tions with director Pam Fryman
where I proposed how to light this,”
Heschong explains. “The idea was for
it to look as though it was practically
lit. We’d be working at a much lower
foot-candle level than normal, which
meant there would be more limita-
tions in terms of the lenses that might
be used on a show like this. In addi-
tion, our approach would require all
cameras to be dolly-mounted and
served by a traditional operator [and]
1st-assistant team. Depth of field at
the longer focal lengths demanded a
skilled first assistant on all cameras.”
Whether or not the home audi-
ence is conscious of the difference, the
cinematographer believes the
approach creates a unique mood for
the series. “The very fact that we’re
shooting at a more wide-open stop at
lower foot-candles adds an element
that’s subtle but still contributes to
how the show feels. Pam got on board
with that, and then I brought it to
Glenda, who had some string lights
she wanted to work in. Basically, at
that point, we went shopping.
Between my department and the set-
dressing and art department, every-
one started bringing in all these
different found-art practical lights.
And then it was trial and error, figur-
ing out what the show would look p From left: Fred, Abby, Beth (Jessica Chaffin), Bill (Nelson Franklin) and Rosie (Kimia Behpoornia)
listen to James (Leonard Ouzts) in the episode “Mail Bin.” q The grip department erected a vertical
like and which type of fixture and truss tower (center, in background) “to allow a cable run for balloon support and Leko placement,”
bulb wattage would deliver the illu- Heschong explains.
mination needed for each area.”
Once the set design had been F55 was used on a Technocrane or jib, ident of marketing] David Dodson is
established, Heschong decided to primarily for opening and closing really supportive, and the entire
shoot primarily with four Sony shots or scene breaks. “I have a great Panavision team is very dependable.
CineAlta PMW-F55 cameras, which relationship with Panavision,” the And the F55 worked with the whole
the production rented from cinematographer notes. “[ASC associ- food chain in terms of post, which is
Panavision Woodland Hills; a fifth ate and Panavision’s senior vice pres- always another consideration. The

www.ascmag.com July 2019 47

 The Great Outdoors
TECH SPECS
1.78:1

Digital Capture

Sony CineAlta PMW-F55

Panavision Primo zooms;

Fujifilm/Fujinon Cabrio zooms

Schneider Radiant Soft filters

workflow was seamless.” The

pp A lighting balloon bolsters the backyard’s ambience.
p Cast and crew prepare for the next scene.
cameras recorded 1920x1080 files
using Sony’s SR-SQ 444 codec.
Heschong’s go-to lens for the
four main cameras was Panavision’s
Primo 11:1 24-275mm (T2.8) zoom.
“In addition, I used a Primo 15-40mm
[T2.6], as well as occasionally a
Fujinon 14-35mm and 19-90mm [both
T2.9] on the Technocrane setups,”
Heschong notes.
“The primary filters were
Schneider Radiant Soft 1 ⁄ 2 s, which
were all matched,” the cinematogra-
pher continues. “I tested a number of
different filters and grades. For the
conditions we were to film under, the
Radiant Soft handled the blacks and
highlights in a ‘cinematic’ manner
and matched well with our constantly
changing focal lengths.”
After the pilot, Heschong was
able to take advantage of the structure
that seated the audience, adding
some truss work on the front of it
from which he could rig some of his
proprietary front lights as well as
“ellipsoidal Lekos of different projec-
tion lengths — anywhere from 36 to
19 degrees — that employed various
color and diffusion gels,” he explains.
“The audience situation for the pilot
was a little makeshift, but by the time
we got to series we had fairly
substantial bleacher seating that was
a bit of an erector set, which was
great.”
Regarding his proprietary
lights, Heschong explains that they
“have been dubbed ‘HeschCones.’
They are a rectangular design I devel-

48 July 2019 ASC 100th Anniversary

 “I select camera operators in collaboration
with a production’s director. As an operator
once myself, I am very much interested in [find-
ing] individuals not only with a skill set [that
includes proficiency with] all different types of
heads, but also who collaborate and make
suggestions. The camera operators for the pilot
and series were mainly John Boyd [pictured,
wearing cap], Eddie Fine, David Dechant, Ron
Hirshman, Brian Sweeney and Lance Billitzer.
“The camera coordinator is most responsi-
ble for the seamless blocking of camera shots
during a scene, but an involved operator and
assistant will often find an angle or suggest a
move that only improves the scene. I am involved with camera placement and shot design in rehearsal and
will also talk with each camera operator between takes; I do not, as a rule, communicate over a headset.
We will generally film each scene in a continuous take, and any given scene will comprise anywhere from
two to four takes — more than that would be the exception.”
— Gregg Heschong, ASC

oped for 10K, 5K and 2K Fresnel out of this bucket full of stuff.” The the creation ‘the Death Star,’ since
lamps, constructed with a fireproof production also allowed for the main that’s what its shape suggested,”
fabric over an anodized aluminum set’s lighting setup to continue to Heschong recalls. “I believe Glenda
frame. They can carry a combination evolve over the course of the first few had it built long ago for another show
of color, diffusion and polarized gel episodes, as Heschong and his crew and it was never used. It was sitting
as needed.” further refined their approach. “It in a warehouse, but now it’s a signa-
The rest of the set’s lighting had was more a process of taking things ture part of the show.”
to be rigged in a manner that felt away than adding them,” the cine- In the event that rain or other
organic to the outdoor “backyard’s” matographer explains. conditions would preclude shooting
design. “The idea was to keep every- One important piece of lighting outdoors, an exact replica of the bar
thing looking as natural as possible,” — a spherical lamp, made up of set was built on a soundstage, but to
Heschong explains. “Because Abby is hexagonal panels, that houses an date it hasn’t been used. That’s not to
a veteran, I talked to Glenda about ordinary household incandescent say, though, that the great outdoors
adding a flagpole so I could hide bulb and hangs over the bar — was has always been cooperative. “There
some Leko units behind the contributed by Rovello. “We called are pluses and minuses to being
American flag, and we had a eucalyp-
tus tree that could hide some more
Leko units. I couldn’t have anything
overhead because we were doing
shots that would pull back and show
the sky. The electrical department
worked really hard in terms of hiding
cables, digging into the dirt, and
disguising cord runs.” The cine-
matographer credits gaffer Bill
Holdsworth and key grip Kevin Dean
as key creative forces in orchestrating
the set rigging.
“Bill Holdsworth was bringing
in all kinds of different units —
household units, reflectors, LED
lamps — and we just tested every-
thing,” Heschong says. “We would “Our approach would require all cameras to be dolly-mounted and served by a traditional operator
mix and match and place as needed [and] first-assistant team,” Heschong says.

www.ascmag.com July 2019 49

 The Great Outdoors
Working outdoors “energizes the actors and adds authenticity to their performance,” Heschong asserts. “And for
the audience, it’s like going to a concert at the Hollywood Bowl — a summer sitcom under the stars!”
outdoors,” the cinematographer
shares. “The minuses include the heli-
copters, or the Southwest planes land-
ing at Burbank Airport — we’re
always waving at the pilots. Then
there’s the wildlife out there, the
rabbits and everything else. But the
plus is that there’s a naturalness to it.
There’s night, moisture, dew collect-
ing. There’s a breeze — you’re not re-
creating it like you might on a stage
with a Ritter.”
Although it wasn’t used for
shooting, Heschong adds that the
onstage replica set still came in handy
“When I teach classes, I tell the
students that you want to train your eye to
see like the camera is seeing, even if you’re
shooting on your iPhone. That way of
seeing was one of the great gifts of film —
it was a little ‘magic box,’ and you didn’t
know what you were going to get until the
next day. Training your eye to see as the
film sees — or, in this case, the digital
format — and then creating that in camera
rather than relying upon all the electronics
in post, that kind of visualizing is really
important. Knowing what the camera will
be able to see and what you can do with
light is part of the fun.”
— Gregg Heschong, ASC
50 July 2019
for rehearsals. “Then we’d move up
the hill for camera blocking and
shooting [outside],” he explains.
Once they were outdoors, he adds,
the lack of complete control infused
the production with energy and kept
things from ever becoming stilted.
“We were all on board with the fact
that we’d have to dodge and weave
and go with the flow as situations
came up. It definitely kept your heart
rate up. In addition, after the pilot,
we never did a full camera run-
through under night shooting condi-
tions. With our dimmer setup, we
could adjust and adapt in no time.”
Heschong’s background in film
informed his approach to post on
Abby’s. “As a rule, I try to do as much
as possible in camera,” he says. “I’m
very averse to this attitude of, ‘Don’t
worry about it, we’ll fix it in post.’
No, we won’t — we’re going to fix it
here. It’s going to be in-camera. I still
use a Spectra light meter that I
bought when I was a film student. It
still works. I don’t need the monitor
— it’s great that it’s there, and I refer-
ence it with Ryne Niner, our DIT, for
color and grading decisions, but it’s
not my source for balancing the set.”
Heschong supervised the final grade
ASC 100th Anniversary
at Universal’s postproduction, where
he worked with colorist Larry Gibbs.
With the first season of Abby’s
now behind him, Heschong looks
back on the production as a throw-
back not only to his early theater
days, but to one of his most cherished
early jobs in film. “It definitely
recalled the stage work I was doing
when I was 16 years old and working
in summer theater in the Midwest,”
he reflects. “But it also made me think
of Cannery Row, a film I operated on
for Sven Nykvist [ASC] back in
[1981]. That was all shot on the Sony
lot, back when it was still MGM, and
everything was built — all the ‘exteri-
ors’ were shot on two stages, with
forced perspective from one stage
into the next. If the sun was coming
up, you created it. If it was raining,
you created it. If it was windy, you
created it. It was so much of what
Hollywood was once known for: this
ability to incorporate all the crafts to
create any world you wanted. I loved
doing that.”
On Abby’s, Heschong feels he
was able to recapture some of that
magic. “It’s theater, and it’s film, and
every week is different,” he says.
“There are always challenges, and
I’m sure I’ll find more if the show
goes on. We’ve been lucky so far, but
I wouldn’t be surprised if down the
road we have to deal with a wildfire
or something even more unex-
pected.”
Wildfires aside, the cinematog-
rapher looks forward to the chal-
lenges that might be created by
weather conditions or other factors
that are out of his control. “It would
be interesting to see what a rainstorm
means to the backyard bar,” he
muses. “The great thing is that even
within the half-hour comedy format,
there are always new things to
discover. I never find myself bored.
On any show, I can be into season
five, and I’m still finding stuff that’s
interesting and a lot of fun to do.” u
 Learning From
the Best
The ASC begins a second century of
sharing its collective knowledge and
educating the next generation of
moving-image professionals
By David E. Williams
Decades before there were books, university programs
or YouTube tutorials on the subject of cinematography, the
American Society of Cinematographers established itself
as the prime source for technical information and discus-
sions about motion-picture photography. For 100 years,
ASC members have worked diligently to understand,
expand upon and improve the art and science of cine-
52 July 2019 ASC 100th Anniversary
matography — openly sharing the results of their investi-
gations not only among themselves, but with other film-
making professionals as well as the interested public.
Indeed, a core mission of the ASC since it was
founded in 1919 has been to help educate peers and
disseminate information. As early ASC member Lewis W.
Physioc said regarding the founding of the Society, “We
had no thought of a union, or using the organization to
obtain higher pay. Our original purpose was to get cine-
matographers to exchange ideas.”
Over the years, the ASC has offered a variety of
educational opportunities for the betterment of everyone
working within the motion-picture art form. This was
initially done through internal meetings and presenta-
tions, then expanded into publishing initiatives and
collaborative presentations with manufacturers, and more
recently through formalized educational programs
 presented at the Society’s Clubhouse
and other locations around the globe.
In November 1920, the ASC
published the first issue of The
American Cinematographer. The
newsletter comprised four pages and
reported on industry news and ASC
members’ assignments. Subsequent
issues were published twice monthly
until March 1922, when American
Cinematographer was introduced as a
magazine-style monthly publication
with an expanded scope to cover the
latest motion-picture equipment, the
artistic approach taken by leading
cinematographers on prominent
Photos by Ashly Covington, Mario Jannini, Tor Rolf Johansen, Alex Lopez, Nick Mahar, and Willie Toledo. All photos courtesy of the AC archives.
program, the ASC released the first
American Cinematographer Handbook in
1935. Written by Jackson J. Rose, ASC,
the Handbook aimed to offer cine-
matographers a concise field guide
featuring pertinent information. Rose
noted in the book’s introduction,
“With the rapid advance and progress
in the art of cinematography … the
cinematographer is continually
besieged with mechanical problems,
which to solve under the pressure of
speed, often leads to many costly
errors and the loss of valuable time
while on production.”
The solution was this pocket-
sized 84-page tome, the first of its
1960 by the even more substantial
American Cinematographer Manual.
Edited by ASC members Joseph
V. Mascelli, Arthur Miller and Walter
Strenge, the first edition of the Manual
offered a collection of “cinemato-
graphic production data which has
never before been equaled.” In many
ways, the evolution of the Handbook
to the Manual reflected the changing
times, as cinematography had
become increasingly complex, requir-
ing a more in-depth understanding of
diverse topics. Subjects were there-
fore broken out into individual chap-
ters with top experts in those fields
writing on their respective subjects in

projects, and how technological kind to offer accurate charts on detail.

changes could offer new creative
choices. Since then, AC has detailed
the advent of sound, color photogra-
phy, numerous formats, television
production, stereoscopic photogra-
phy, digital acquisition and virtual
production, among many other
topics.
Expanding its publishing
motion-picture film characteristics,
lenses and their use, depth-of-field
guides, the effects of filtration,
frames-per-second camera speeds,
shutter angles and their effect on
exposure, and other essential subjects.
An instant success, the Handbook was
updated and revised through nine
editions until it was supplanted in
The 484-page Manual was
essentially a top-notch film school
bound between two covers, and a
handy reference for solving pressing
technical issues on the set. And since
its introduction, it has continued to
expand. The 10th edition, published
in 2013, clocked in at a hefty 938
pages. (An accompanying 168-page

t Dan Mindel, ASC, BSC, SASC (at camera, wearing white shirt) leads an ASC International
Master Class in São Paulo, Brazil. u ASC members (from left) Don McCuaig, David Klein,
Cynthia Pusheck, George Spiro Dibie, Lisa Wiegand, Bill Bennett, John Simmons and
Christopher Chomyn speak with students at the ASC Clubhouse. q Students from
Queensland University of Technology gather around ASC members (from left) Patrick Cady,
Ross Berryman, Paul Maibaum, Dean Semler, Dibie, Charles Minsky and Bennett.

www.ascmag.com July 2019 53

 Learning From the Best
ASC members Stephen H. Burum (pp) and Richard Crudo (p) lend their expertise during
ASC Master Class sessions.
guide of tables, charts and formulas
— curated by Stephen H. Burum, ASC
specifically for student use — is also
offered.) The 11th edition, edited by
M. David Mullen, ASC and associate
member Rob Hummel,  is currently
being assembled.
“Those who are interested in the
future of the motion-picture art must
regard with favor every legitimate attempt
to promote the interchange of technical
information among motion-picture techni-
cians, both professional and amateur.”
— George Eastman,
in a letter to the ASC,
dated March 27, 1930
54 July 2019
To promote a greater understanding
of the cinematographer’s craft while
inspiring the next generation of
motion-picture professionals, the
ASC’s Education & Outreach
Committee presents an ongoing slate
of free seminars for emerging filmmak-
ers and established crewmembers
alike. These events — titled “Dialogue
With ASC Cinematographers” — are
arranged and moderated by Education
& Outreach Committee chair George
Spiro Dibie, ASC, an award-winning
cinematographer, veteran educator,
and the former president of the
International Cinematographers Guild.
For Dibie, creating these unique
opportunities for aspiring filmmakers
to interact with members of the
ASC 100th Anniversary
professional motion-picture industry
is among the ASC’s most vital roles.
“The experience and knowledge we
have gained over many years of hard
work on the set is what we’re offering
them,” Dibie explains. “You can’t
learn that from any book or by study-
ing films, whether it is regarding the
creative process or working relation-
ships.
“We’re there to honestly answer
their questions, with no agenda or
bias,” he continues. “We just give
them the truth — the reality of what it
is to build a career, assemble a crew,
collaborate on the set and, most
importantly, to understand that
everything cinematographers do is
about understanding and telling the
story visually. Everything we do —
lighting, compositions, camera angles
— has to be about the story.”
“The ASC educational panels
are a lot of fun,” says Cynthia
Pusheck, ASC, who participates
whenever her schedule allows. She
adds that a particular highlight of the
sessions is “how forthcoming the ASC
DPs are — sharing both personal and
professional stories that really give
the students an insight about what it’s
like to be a working cinematogra-
pher.”
Students from schools far and
wide have visited the ASC Clubhouse
to learn from this in-person interac-
tion. “I learned what part you can
play and what you can do to make the
production smoother,” film student
Kairavi Desai shared after attending
one of the seminars at the Clubhouse
with her classmates from Queensland
University of Technology in Brisbane,
Australia. “Building relationships
with the whole crew — having that
kind of family culture — makes
things so much better on set. You’re
making a film together.”
Kimisha Renee Davis, a cine-
matography major at ArtCenter
College of Design, said her biggest
takeaway was the panelists’ advice to
“keep going. Keep shooting. Every
time I come here, I feel so happy to be
 “I firmly believe
that teaching the next
generation of cine-
matographers is one of
the primary missions for
the ASC. I want to help
in the mission as much
as I can.”
— Bill Bennett, ASC

surrounded by the best [cinematogra- ASC Clubhouse to qualified students to 10 years, and were looking to
phers]. The support here is unbeliev- who already had a strong working improve their skills by learning from
able. I always come out feeling so knowledge of cinematography, and the best cinematographers in the
empowered.” help lead them on their way toward industry.”
As Pusheck says, “Motivating the next step in their careers. “We “We wanted to propagate a
and inspiring the next generation is knew we didn’t want to teach to right way of working with the latest
what these panels are all about.” beginning cinematography students, technologies that serve our creative
as that instruction can be found else- intent, so cinematographers can
In 2013, the Society’s educational where,” Bill Bennett, ASC explains. remain in control of the image,” says
initiatives expanded in a major way “We wanted to pitch the classes to van Oostrum, current president of the
with the launch of the ASC Master cinematographers who were already ASC. He shares that the Master Class
Class, an ongoing program based at working in the business, possibly five teaches students “not only how to
the Clubhouse, with the goal of offer-
ing young cinematographers the
opportunity to interact with estab-
lished ASC members who would
impart decades of practical, on-set
experience and real-world knowl-
edge, as well as their individual
creative philosophies. (See AC Oct.
’14 and Oct. ’16.)
“I remember very early discus-
sions between [ASC members] Kees
van Oostrum, Steve Burum and
myself,” Karl Walter Lindenlaub, ASC
reflects. “Kees really wanted to start
an education program, and asked for
our input. Steve put some ideas about
possible themes for education on
paper, and we talked about how to
structure possible classes at the ASC.”
The basic plan was to open the Master Class students take in a demonstration.

www.ascmag.com July 2019 55

 Learning From the Best
Through the ASC’s educational
outreach, “the newer generation realizes
that to learn from the bottom up is a good
thing,” offers Roberto Schaefer, ASC, AIC.
“Maybe they will follow in our footsteps and
join a family of cinematographers, and not be
alienated from others who have common
interests and goals. They see that we work
together and help each other — even
though, in a sense, we are competitors.”

shoot the footage, but the on-set

working methods with the crew,
including a digital-imaging techni-
cian, and the post process with the
digital intermediate in a reference
environment.
“We don’t just teach technology,
but the art and content matter of
being a cinematographer,” van
Oostrum continues. “It’s an educa-
tional platform to show cinematogra-
phers how to go about finding their
talent and being respected.”
Van Oostrum initiated the
Master Class along with then-Society
President Richard Crudo. “The ASC
Master Class is taught by the people
who are the best in the world at what
they do,” says Crudo. “It’s the only
place where students get to meet
these individuals face-to-face, to get
direct answers to questions and to
participate in hands-on exercises
under their close tutelage. It’s truly a
unique opportunity.”
Students have come from all
around the globe to take advantage of
that opportunity. Reflecting on the
students he’s taught through the
Master Class, Roberto Schaefer, ASC,
AIC recalls being struck by their
“enthusiasm and rapt attention.
[There were] lots of questions about
the why along with the how. Also, so
many were amazed that I was having
the same issues with productions as
they were. They often asked, ‘Even at
your level?’”
Fellow Master Class instructor
Dan Mindel, ASC, BSC, SASC shares,
“Basically, my strategy is to let [the
students’] questions come first. People
have ideas that they might want to
mimic something they saw in one of
my films, or ask how I did a certain
thing, and generally that leads the
conversation. My personal goal is to
demonstrate the huge fun and creativ-
ity that can be achieved by working
very, very hard in this industry.”
In 2016, the program expanded
with the launch of the ASC
International Master Class, presented
in partnership with Arri. This inter-
national initiative has brought the
Master Class curriculum and ASC

t Curtis Clark, ASC leads a discussion during the ASC Technology Master Class. u Cinematographer ByongHoon Jo (wearing white shirt) was among
the attendees at the Technology Master Class.

56 July 2019 ASC 100th Anniversary

instructors to Canada, China,
Colombia, Brazil, South Korea and
other countries.
Additionally, 2018 witnessed
the first ASC Technology Master
Class, which centers on the science
and unique practices of digital image
capture and control. The program was
“originally requested by the Korea
Radio Promotion Association,” van
Oostrum explains, adding that the
Society quickly “recognized the
importance of structuring a Master
Class around current technology
issues. It has inspired us to look at
offering this class to a general audi-
ence as an important expansion of our
educational endeavors.” Hoyte van Hoytema, ASC, FSF, NSC shares his experience with the Imax 15-perf 65mm format
The Technology Master Class during the recent Film Master Class.
curriculum was largely designed by “There are dozens of topics we certainly helps to understand how
Curtis Clark, ASC and Bennett. touched on in this course,” says cine- they work, and how they can help
“Because we’re entering into an even matographer ByongHoon Jo, who reinforce your creative intent and give
more advanced form of digital imag- attended as a student. “At the core you an expanded canvas with which
ing these days, it’s important for a of it, we were able to realize that to do that.”
cinematographer to have a basic we have to make choices with all of Most recently, the Master Class
understanding of that technology to the technical development available branched out yet again with the intro-
make full, maximum use of the and all of the options we have. We duction of the Film Master Class (AC
creative potential of this expanding shouldn’t just let those choices be April ’19), a special Master Class
canvas that’s being enabled by these random. We should be conscious of session focused on shooting with
new technologies,” Clark says. “There what we’re doing.” motion-picture film stocks. Among
are different components that are all Jo’s takeaway from the Master the session’s instructors was Hoyte
converging together to create a new, Class was exactly what Clark van Hoytema, ASC, FSF, NSC, who
more expanded canvas with which to intended. “You don’t need to be a relates, “I am very happy to be in a
be able to paint your pictures [and] technologist to be able to practice the position where I can share my love for
tell your stories, and to use for expres- art of cinematography with these film, and even more lucky to find an
sive, emotional impact.” technologies,” he said, “but it audience of apprentices who were as

“My fellow ASC members and I take

the approach that the most important,
enriching and purposeful thing we can do
to give back to the wonderful career
we’ve enjoyed is to help somebody else
have a shot at it. It’s hard, of course [to
make a career of it] — but then that’s one
of my all-time favorite catchphrases: ‘It’s
supposed to be hard.’ So give yourself
every advantage along the way that you
can think of. Had I had that opportunity in
the form of the ASC Master Class, there’s
no way I would have passed it up.”
— David Darby, ASC

www.ascmag.com July 2019 57

 Learning From the Best

p From left: Rebecca Rhine, Dr. Stacy Smith, ASC member Alan Caso,
Natasha Foster-Owens, Xiomara Comrie, Tema Staig and Sarah Caplan
participate in a panel discussion during an event presented by the ASC Vision
Committee. t Vision Committee co-chair John Simmons, ASC.

age and support the The ASC’s educational impact

passionate about it as I am. The future
is bright. We owe it to the next gener-
ation of filmmakers to keep passing
on this knowledge.”
The Society’s educational outreach
extends well beyond the student-
teacher dynamic and is readily appar-
ent in the efforts of the Vision
Committee, which works to encour-
advancement of
underrepresented
cinematographers,
their crews and other filmmakers, and
to inspire positive changes through
hiring talent that reflects society at
large. In that effort, the Vision
Committee organizes inspirational
events intermixed with hands-on
training and networking opportuni-
ties, and has established formal
mentorship and ASC Master Class
scholarship programs.
is also on full display with the work
of the Motion Imaging Technology
Council (AC April ’19). Since its
formation in January 2003 — when it
was known as the ASC Technology
Committee — MITC has diligently
pursued its objective to understand
the technological sea change impact-
ing the production and postproduc-
tion industries, so that professionals
might be able to effectively influence
their developments in ways that best
serve the creative interests of film-

“The image of the ASC has evolved

into a global organization. And this is in part
due to the Master Class program, which puts
members together with the public, and to
having such an eclectic membership that
includes cinematographers representing so
many countries. It’s become a much more
open arena. As a result, the ASC’s image has
been elevated in the minds of contemporary
filmmakers. This reflects the fact that cine-
matography — all filmmaking, really — has
become a global industry, not just one based
in a few cities and countries. The ASC repre-
sents not just the past, but the future.”
— Dan Mindel, ASC, BSC, SASC

58 July 2019 ASC 100th Anniversary

makers while emphasizing the cine-
“The ASC is responsible for preserving high standards in visual storytelling.
matographer’s contribution in
It’s to everybody’s benefit that we share our collective knowledge with the next
advancing this evolving art form.
generations — it’s the best way for any artistic endeavor to stay alive and
A bi-annual International
progress. And it’s always a two-way street. Whenever I teach, I always start to
Cinematography Summit (AC Sept.
question how I approach my craft. That in itself is a great benefit, and hopefully
’16, Sept. ’18) brings together partici-
makes me a better cinematographer.”
pants from cinematography societies
— Karl Walter Lindenlaub, ASC
based around the globe to meet, share
information, and prioritize an agenda of the ASC. The Friends program The contemporary building, located
that will forward the interests of cine- presents events and discussions with behind the historic ASC Clubhouse in
matographers everywhere. top cinematographers and other film- Hollywood, will serve as a hub for the
Additionally, the annual ASC makers at the ASC Clubhouse, and organization’s ongoing efforts to
Awards (AC Feb. ’19) serve to recog- Friends subscribers can access exclu- educate the next generation of film-
nize exceptional cinematography in sive video interviews and tech-tip makers on the art and craft of cine-
features and television, acknowledge demonstrations online at theasc.com. matography. When it opens its doors
top cinematographers largely work- Last August, the ASC broke later this year, the structure will also
ing outside the U.S. with the ground on the construction of the be home to all print- and digital-
International Award, and salute other new ASC Arri Educational Center. publications staff. ➔
filmmakers — including directors,
producers and actors — with the
Board of Governors Award for their
exemplary contributions to the art
and craft of motion pictures. With the
Spotlight Award, the program also
takes special notice of exceptional
work that might otherwise be over-
looked, shining a light on deserving
cinematographers often working far
outside the mainstream. The ASC also
hosts the annual Student Heritage
Awards, which honor both graduate
and undergraduate film students.
Students and professionals
The Vision Committee recently partnered with Women in Media and CineMoves to present
alike can find still more access to the “Crane Day,” an event that offered hands-on training with equipment traditionally exclusive to
ASC’s membership through Friends large-budget productions.

www.ascmag.com July 2019 59

 Learning From the Best

p A rendering of the ASC Arri Educational Center. t ASC President Kees van Oostrum (left)
with Arri Inc. President and CEO Glenn Kennel during the groundbreaking ceremony for the building.

were young filmmakers who young cinematographer, and it’s true

“When the ASC was formed in
1919, our founding members pledged
to foster and artistically inspire rising
cinematographers,” van Oostrum said
at the groundbreaking ceremony.
“That mission has made us the Society
we are today. Through our members
and initiatives, we have aggressively
continued that edict. The new ASC
Arri Educational Center symbolizes
our commitment to the future and
provides an excellent gathering place
for the exchange of ideas.”
Arri Inc. President and CEO
Glenn Kennel, an ASC associate
member, added, “Arri’s two founders
[August Arnold and Robert Richter]
produced movies and created lighting today with every seminar we do.”
and camera equipment to make their “The ASC is probably the most
visions a reality. We are thrilled to credible organization of its kind in the
continue their legacy and help create world, and by making its members
a space to inspire emerging content accessible to people around the
creators.” world, it further solidifies that posi-
tion,” Mindel says. “The ASC is
In short, the ASC’s commitment to focused on the right place.” u
education remains the soul of the
organization and a primary focus as Additional reporting by Samantha
the Society moves into its second Dillard and Debra Kaufman.
century. “The ASC is committed to
actively helping the next generation of To learn more about the ASC’s
cinematographers through seminars, educational programs, visit
educational publications and videos, theasc.com/asc/education.
and individual contact with ASC
members,” former ASC
President Michael Goi attests.
“There is really no substitute
for having direct information
from your cinematography
heroes. That was true of
myself when I first met
Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC as a

“Mentoring and educating other filmmakers is the most important

thing I will ever do — more than directing or shooting. Like they say: ‘You
never remember who won a Hollywood award two years later, but you
always remember your first-grade teacher.’ Being able to expose a young
filmmaker to the way the industry actually works is a perspective that they
will not be able to get anywhere else. Mentorships are the foundation for
the future.”
— Michael Goi, ASC, ISC

60 July 2019 ASC 100th Anniversary

 Dark Comedy
For the series What We Do in the
Shadows, cinematographers
D.J. Stipsen and Christian Sprenger
help craft a comic portrait of a
group of vampires making their
way in the modern world
By Simon Gray
The FX series What We Do in the Shadows offers a unique
blend of situational comedy, supernatural horror and
observational “documentary.” Created by Jemaine
Clement and Taika Waititi, the series debuted in March
2019 and follows a quartet of vampires living in Staten
Island, N.Y. — the least populous borough of “the city that
62 July 2019 ASC 100th Anniversary
never sleeps.” Ostensibly led by Nandor the Relentless
(Kayvan Novak), the hapless group also includes Laszlo
(Matt Berry); Nadja (Natasia Demetriou); Guillermo
(Harvey Guillén), Nandor’s “familiar”; and Colin
Robinson (Mark Proksch), a “daywalker” who drains the
energy of humans and vampires alike, mostly by boring
them with his inane monologues.
The vampires spend much of their time in their
dilapidated mansion, bickering as only housemates who
have been together for hundreds of years can. When they
do venture outside, their activities include decimating the
local raccoon population, attending council meetings, pick-
ing fights with werewolves, and shopping for their
groceries in 24-hour convenience stores.
The series is based on the 2014 feature co-written and
co-directed by Waititi and Clement; cinematographer D.J.
Stipsen shot the feature and returned for the series after
Christian Sprenger served as director of photography for
 tt The doc-style
comedy series What
We Do in the Shadows
follows a cast of
characters that
includes (from left)
the vampires Laszlo
(Matt Berry), Nadja
(Natasia Demetriou)
and Nandor (Kayvan
Novak), as well as
Nandor’s “familiar,”
Guillermo (Harvey
Guillén). t “Energy
vampire” Colin
Robinson (Mark
Proksch, right) joins
his cohorts for a city-
council meeting.
qt Series
cinematographer D.J.
Stipsen.
q Pilot
cinematographer
Christian Sprenger.

the pilot episode. “This was a particu-
larly interesting show visually,”
Sprenger reflects. “It’s about vampires,
so most of the hair, makeup, wardrobe
Additional images provided by D.J. Stipsen. All images courtesy of FX.
Unit photography by Byron Cohen, John P. Johnson and Russ Martin.
the camera, we used a custom-built, The overarching conceit of the show
wirelessly controlled LED mounted on is that it’s being shot by an often-
the camera.” The custom fixture was acknowledged but always unseen
controlled by the pilot’s gaffer, Cody documentary crew who have been

and production design are dark and
stylized. It’s important that the charac-
ters exist in a moody, gothic, nighttime
world, but it’s also a situational
comedy, and it’s equally important not
to trample the comedy with the look
— and it also should feel like a realistic
observational documentary. Juggling
those disparate but necessary aesthet-
ics was a challenge.
“Taika and Jemaine really
enjoyed the look of the on-camera
light, which D.J. used quite a bit on the
film,” Sprenger continues. “We
embraced that concept for the pilot’s
night-exterior scenes. When the char-
acters came close and interacted with
Jacobs, via the Luminair app on an
iPad.
For one of the pilot’s night-exte-
rior scenes, the art department sourced
a few dozen street lamps with 500-watt
frosted incandescent bulbs to line the
walking paths of a park. “At the deep
end of all of our hero directions were
three 80-foot condors, each one outfit-
ted with two Arri M90s — gelled with
1⁄2 CTO and 1⁄4 Plus Green — to provide
some depth to the tree line,” Sprenger
explains. “The special-effects depart-
ment also lined haze tubes throughout
the park to accentuate the pools of
light from the streetlights.”
granted immunity by the vampires.
Establishing and maintaining that
aesthetic was paramount to the series’
actual filmmakers. “A scene often
started with the fictional crew ‘arriv-
ing’ with the actors, as if we’re all ‘on
the go,’” Stipsen notes. “At other
times, the camera would hang back
on longer lenses, with a lot of fore-
ground elements, just observing the
vampires.”
Improvisation is a key element
of the show’s style. “We didn’t do strict
setups as such,” Stipsen says. “We shot
both rehearsals and takes, which were
then built upon with improvised ideas
from the cast and Jemaine. To create

www.ascmag.com July 2019 63

 Dark Comedy

p Nadja and Laszlo sit for an interview with the unseen “documentary” crew. q An Arri Alexa Mini is framed up on Berry for a shot in the pilot episode.

TECH SPECS
the space for this to happen, Jemaine
wanted to be able to shoot with as few
1.78:1 restrictions as possible so the actors felt
free to react to each other in any
Digital Capture manner they saw fit.”
Camera operating was para-
Arri Alexa Mini (pilot), Sony Venice (series) mount to the success of this improvisa-
tional approach. “Operators Bradley
Angénieux Optimo, Type EZ-1; Arri/Zeiss Crosbie and Kaelin McCowan, with
Master Primes
focus pullers David Orton and
Johnathan Holmes, were thrown in at
the deep end, but they were on-point
every day,” Stipsen says. “I needed
operators who could tell a story, as the
only guidance they would get on set
would be, ‘You’ve read the script,
you’ve watched the block, now go and
sort out what you want to shoot.’

Additional Equipment:
Arriflex 16SR 3 with Arri/Zeiss Super Speed
primes, Kodak Vision3 200T 7213

GoPro Hero5

Sony DSR-390 DVCam camcorder with

Fujinon B4 1⁄2" 18x 6.7-121mm (f/1.4) zoom

Panasonic HC-W850 camcorder (used in

night-vision mode)

Arri Alexa Mini with Arri/Zeiss Master

Primes (for drone work)

64 July 2019 ASC 100th Anniversary

Operating and focus pulling is very
hard under those circumstances, but
they didn’t miss a beat — they were
actually too good, and I had to ask
them to ‘try’ to find the frame and
sharps more, as it looked too slick
when they nailed it right away every
time.”
Following the pilot episode,
which Sprenger shot with Arri’s Alexa
Mini camera at 3.2K, the series was
primarily shot with two Sony Venice
cameras, one handheld by Crosbie,
and the second operated on an Easyrig
by McCowan. Both cameras were
framed for the show’s 1.78:1 aspect
ratio. Most footage was captured at 4K
17:9 with Sony’s 16-bit X-OCN codec, in an available-light documentary menu. “The 1,600 ISO setting had a
but 6K 17:9 was occasionally used for style was Sony’s Venice. With its high little less noise in the shadows,” the
specific visual-effects shots. base setting of 2,500 ISO, the Venice cinematographer observes. “Knowing
“We shot the movie back in could almost see in the dark, with how much night work and how many
2014 on Red Epics, which were great,” very little noise in the shadows.” available-light setups we would be
Stipsen recalls. “The Venice had only Stipsen maintained a shooting doing, having a bit more bias in the
just come out when the pilot was shot, stop around T2.8, with the camera set shadow end was desirable.”
but by the time the series came about, to its high base ISO of 2,500 and then Angénieux Optimo zooms —
we felt the best camera for us to shoot dialed-down to 1,600 ISO in the 15-40mm (T2.6), 28-76mm (T2.6) and
p Nandor, Guillermo and Laszlo stand in the foyer of the vampires’ mansion. q A handheld Sony Venice captures a shot of Guillén suspended on wires.
“We needed ceilings throughout our sets so we wouldn’t have any ‘shoot-off’ issues that might restrict the actors’ movements during a scene, but all of the
ceilings had to be removable for wirework,” Stipsen says. The ceiling pieces, he adds, “were stretched unbleached muslin — which the painters had aged —
over a wooden frame.”

www.ascmag.com July 2019 65

 Dark Comedy

45-120mm (T2.8) — were most often
on the cameras, with 30-90mm (T2)
Angénieux Type EZ-1 zooms used for
shots requiring 6K capture for visual
effects. A set of Arri/Zeiss Master
Primes was also carried for green-
screen work or setups that required a
closer minimum focus.
For filtration, Stipsen carried
Tiffen 1⁄8 and 1⁄4 Black Satin and made
occasional use of a Smoque 1 filter. “I
used the 1⁄8 Black Satin most of the
time to just take the edge off the
sensor, but I’d remove it if we wanted
a harder look to the scene, [such as]
when we shot in convenience stores,”
Stipsen shares. “The Smoque 1 was
employed when we couldn’t use
atmosphere in a location or scene.
Luckily, that didn’t happen very often
— we used atmosphere heavily
throughout the show, except when we
wanted a hard edge for the scene,
again like with a convenience store.
The Black Satins also helped to soften
the [vampires’] house interior and
make it feel a little more old and run-
down. The Satins were a kind of
visual nod to the era and world the
vampires had come from — Old
Europe, or at least our perception of
that era.”

pp Cast and crew at work on the greenscreen-surrounded mansion-rooftop set.

p Stipsen made regular use of custom cube lights that were fitted with an LED “barrel” and skinned with removable muslin or duvetyn panels.

66 July 2019 ASC 100th Anniversary

 Crewmembers work
on the lighting grid
suspended above a
large set that housed
an international
vampire tribunal.

Among the filmmakers’ influences
for the series was the work of Michael
Ballhaus, ASC and production
designer Thomas Sanders on the
Francis Ford Coppola-directed Bram
Stoker’s Dracula (AC Nov. ’92). “We
referenced that film for the general
sumptuousness of the vampires’
mansion, which was our main set,”
Stipsen recalls. “Our take, however,
was that the Staten Island vampires
have let their place go. The former
glory is evident but now exists in a
worn, faded and distressed state.
Production designer Kate Bunch and I
had a lot of conversations about strik-
ing the right balance between sump-
tuousness and neglect. There are
strong reds, but also yellow that has
faded to the point of being a warm
brown.” (Ed. Note: Ra Vincent served
as production designer for the feature
and the pilot, after which Bunch —
who worked as art director on the
pilot — took over for the remainder of
Season 1.)
The expansive mansion set was
constructed onstage at Cinespace’s
Kipling Avenue Studios in Toronto. It
featured a two-story foyer framed by
two semicircular staircases that led up
to a balcony; on the ground floor, off
the foyer, were the library and the
dining room. Two bedrooms — one
shared by Laszlo and Nadja and a
collection of stuffed animals in glass
cabinets, and the other belonging to
Nandor — were accessed off of the
long main corridor.
Behind one of the foyer’s stair-
cases was Guillermo’s hovel, and
behind the other was Nadja’s dark-

One particular sequence, in which Laszlo screens

his self-made “erotic films” for Nadja, required image
acquisition on film and a variety of video formats. The
show’s actual filmmakers intended for Laszlo’s films to
be suggestive rather than “adult” — and wholly bereft of
any palpable eroticism. “Both the content and execution
are embarrassing, and poor old Laszlo is so bad in them,”
Stipsen says, laughing. “He’s made these films over a
long period of time using available technology. It was a
great opportunity for us to be able to shoot on a variety
of film and video formats, including Super 16mm and
interlaced 4:3 DVCam.”

www.ascmag.com July 2019 67

 Dark Comedy
The final color grade for What We Do in the Shadows was performed at Light Iron by Ian Vertovec. “I popped into Light Iron to
set the looks for the house and for episodes 2 and 3,” Stipsen says. “I did the rest of the show remotely, as I was on another project.
I always explain that the CDL is merely a guide to try to communicate the emotional feel of the scene and my intention at the time it
was shot, which may change once the episode is cut, and depending on where and how that scene sits in the edit.”

room. “Those two rooms motivated
the blue-light ambience and the rich
red ambience [respectively] that
edged the foyer, providing some color
contrast and relief from all of its
yellows and greens,” Stipsen notes.
Colin’s bedroom and the attic, mean-
while, were created as separate stand-
alone sets, while the cellar was a
found location.
“There were also sections of
narrow corridors connecting the ‘fancy
room,’ as Laszlo calls the dining room,
to the foyer, so that we could confuse
the audience a bit and make the house
appear bigger when following the
vampires from one room to another,”
Stipsen adds. The interconnectedness
of the primary set’s corridors and
rooms allowed for the staging of
extended takes, sometimes lasting up
to 20 minutes, as the “documentary
crew” would follow the vampires
through the mansion. The majority of
the set’s lighting was controlled by
board operator Peter Molnar, who
often performed live cues in response
to those long, evolving takes.
Since the mansion’s inhabitants
wouldn’t want any sunlight to pene-
trate their abode, the set’s windows
were painted and covered with paper;
streetlight nevertheless seeps through
the cracks, an effect created with Kino
Flo Celeb 400Qs gelled with Rosco
3152 Urban Vapor. Additionally, four
Arri SkyPanel S60-Cs in soft boxes
were positioned for ambience in the
foyer. “Two of them were colored

This “rolling corridor” set was constructed for a fight

sequence, enabling shots of the vampires appearing to
defy gravity. Throughout the series, Stipsen notes, “we
also built various inverted ceiling pieces and bits of wall
for shots of the vampires climbing, fighting or floating.”

68 July 2019 ASC 100th Anniversary

green to enhance the throw from the
green chandelier hanging above the
stairs in the foyer, and the other two
pushed either ‘moonlight’ or
‘daylight’ ambience through the
foyer skylight,” Stipsen explains.
Two Celeb 400Qs in soft boxes
were used in the library, and the
hallway was lined from above with
400Qs. Two more 400Qs were used
in Nadja and Laszlo’s bedroom,
where custom LED units illuminated
the glass cabinets. Atmosphere was
used throughout the mansion interi-
ors to enhance the environment’s
faded look.
The soft boxes that housed the
LED units were custom configura-
tions “that had interchangeable
panels underneath, about 2 feet from
the face of the lamp, with a 3-foot-
deep skirt of duvetyn dropping
below that to control spill,” Stipsen
details. “We could run unbleached
muslin or any diffusion we wished
by swapping out the panels.
“I am not a big fan of toplight,
so the lamps over the set were often
at low levels or not on at all,” he
continues. “The lanterns, candles
and all the built-in practicals did
most of the work for us, which was
particularly useful as we wanted the
cameras to be able to look almost
anywhere in the main set at any
given time. It was an exciting way to
work; it isn’t an easy method to
tackle. A lot of time was spent hiding
small lights, taping LED strips to
tables — that kind of thing.”
Stipsen also asked rigging
gaffer Sean Anicic “to build an LED
version of a very useful lamp I had
constructed and used in New
Zealand,” the cinematographer
explains. Featuring a cube-shaped
aluminum frame, the original
version contained a lantern lock for
an incandescent bulb, while the
updated iteration instead incorpo-
rated a bespoke LED “barrel” posi-
tioned in the center; the frame,
Stipsen says, was skinned with
“independently removable or fold-
The crew readies a scene in a 26'-high well that was built on the backlot at Cinespace’s
Kipling Avenue Studios in Toronto.
able muslin or duvetyn panels so we
could accurately control the amount
of light — and also the spill — coming
out of the cube.” He adds that series
gaffer “Andrew Sneyd loved these
lamps. The quality of light is so soft
and creamy — it’s almost ‘sourceless.’
We built sizes from 1-foot-square
upwards. Because they are a cube
with a spigot, you can rig them or just
pop them onto a flat surface. We
could hide them easily on set.”
For scenes outside of the mansion,
the filmmakers strove to emphasize
just how incongruous the vampires
are in the city environment. “They are
fish out of water, completely out of
their element,” Stipsen observes. “We
showed that by using inherently
unattractive locations, such as multi-
story car parks, late-night conve-
nience centers, public buses — all lit
with aggressively bright fluorescent
sources. We want the viewers to feel
as if they themselves are in the super-
market at 2 a.m., buying milk.”
Night-exterior scenes are abun-
dant throughout the series. When
appropriate, Stipsen would adopt
what he calls a “gothic” aesthetic. “If
we felt it was the right thing to do, in
www.ascmag.com
park locations or on quiet streets, we
would bring in atmosphere, do wet-
downs and set up a ‘full moon’ with
some Arrimax 18Ks on condors. If we
were closer [to the actors] or we had
no trees to break up the 18Ks, we
dropped to [Arri] M90s.
“We also had a base ‘broad
strokes’ palette for the night exteri-
ors,” he continues. That palette incor-
porated “a Pale Lavender gel on our
18K ‘moon,’ with Urban Vapor gel on
any tungsten units, and mercury
vapor — 1⁄2 CTO and 1⁄4 Plus Green —
on any other daylight-balanced units.
“On other occasions I leaned
heavily on practical lighting for
night-exterior scenes,” the cine-
matographer adds. “We would
utilize a combination of set-deco-
rated streetlights, M90s rigged just
out of the top of frame, and often one
of our cube lights on a fish pole either
under camera or just above, tracking
with the actors.”
The supernatural elements of What
We Do in the Shadows have called for
their fair share of visual effects and
stunt work. For example, the first
season has featured levitation, aerial
vampiric combat, 9' werewolves,
July 2019 69
 Dark Comedy
The camera and lighting plans for an over-the-top single-take sequence that follows a crazed man
named Jeff who may or may not be the reincarnation of Nadja’s former lover Gregor.
copious blood effects, and vampires
changing form to and from bats.
“There is quite a lot of stunt,
wire, and special- and visual-effects
work in each episode, but we cannot
break the central premise that a crew
is shooting an observational docu-
mentary about vampires,” Stipsen
says. “Strange, unnatural things just
so happen to occur in front of the
camera. To maintain that onscreen
premise, the camera treats the
complex wire-work almost casually,
often ‘glancing’ momentarily at some-
70 July 2019
thing that took the stunt team consid-
erable effort.”
Stipsen identifies a particular
set-piece as exemplifying the
combined talents of the stunt
performers and special- and visual-
effects departments. Attempting to
use her glamor charms on the hapless
Jeff (Jake McDorman) — a human she
believes to be the reincarnation of her
former lover Gregor — Nadja
miswords the spell, sending Jeff
insane; the hapless mortal is then
locked in an asylum, from which he
ASC 100th Anniversary
escapes in dramatic fashion.
Though the escape sequence
was shot with the Venice cameras at
6K to accommodate the extensive
visual effects in the sequence, the
premise is that the events have actu-
ally been witnessed by several
teenagers out on the town, one of
whom captures Jeff’s rampage with a
cell-phone camera. “The sequence is
presented as one continuous shot,”
Stipsen says. “VFX had quite a
complex amount of stitching and
painting-out to do to put the scene
together, as it was also a one-shot
event on the night.” The visual-effects
workflow also included degrading
the footage to create a cell-phone
aesthetic, and, the cinematographer
adds, “Taika even put a vertical mask
on the final footage to enhance the
cell-phone camera feel.
“The kids are outside a conve-
nience store, posting videos of them-
selves on a cell phone, as Jeff’s car
screeches around the corner on its
rims, sparks flying, and takes out a
newspaper dispenser — sending
paper and pieces of metal everywhere
— and then collides with a power
pole,” Stipsen explains. “Jeff flies
through the windscreen, landing hard
on the road. As the kids run up to see
if he’s okay, Jeff gets up and lurches
toward them. A motorcyclist exits the
store only to be thrown to the ground
and have his motorbike stolen by the
love-insane Jeff. It’s such a great, over-
the-top sequence.
“The stunt crew, led by coordi-
nators Tig Fong and Jean-Francois
Lachapelle, were always enthusiastic,
and loved involving everyone in how
they were going to achieve each
stunt,” the cinematographer adds.
“Mavericks, the visual-effects
company, and VFX supervisors
Brendan Taylor and Rian McNamara
were also amazing at allowing us to
keep the documentary aesthetic when
we were shooting complex stunts or
wirework. If they said we couldn’t do
it, we knew it was impossible.” u
 NEW PRODUCTS & SERVICES
• SUBMISSION INFORMATION - Please email New Products/Services releases to newproducts@ascmag.com and include full contact information and product images.
Photos must be TIFF or JPEG files of at least 300dpi.
Fujinon Unveils Premista Zooms
The Fujinon division of Fujifilm North America Corp. has
unveiled the Premista series of
cinema zoom lenses, which
are designed to deliver the
full benefits of large-format
sensor cameras. The first lens
in the series, Premista 28-100mm
(T2.9), will be released this summer, and
the second, Premista 80-250mm (T2.9-3.5), will
ship before the end of 2019.
The Premista 28-100mm has a constant T2.9 speed across
the entire zoom range, and the Premista 80-250mm has a
constant T2.9 speed from 80-200mm before gradually ramping to
T3.5 between 201-250mm. Both lenses cover a 46.3mm image
circle, which covers all large-format digital cinema cameras
currently on the market.
Weighing 8.3 pounds, the Premista 28-100mm is especially
convenient when the camera is on a crane or helicopter, where it
is often difficult to access the lens. The focus ring has a 280-degree
turn with smooth torque.
A new 13-blade iris allows for a pleasant bokeh effect, and
a wide dynamic range of light can be captured thanks to a dedi-
cated optical design that suppresses unwanted flare and ghosting.
For additional information, visit fujifilmusa.com/prod
ucts/optical_devices.
Teradek Introduces Ace 500
Teradek has introduced the Ace 500 wireless video system.
Built with the same technology found in the Bolt product line, the
Ace 500 offers a streamlined experience at a more accessible price
point: $999 for a transmitter/receiver set.
“Ace 500 was designed for independent creatives begin-
ning to incorporate wireless video into their workflows, and for
those operating within strict budgets who need a reliable video
link,” notes Greg Smokler, Teradek’s vice president of products.
Ace 500 transmits uncompressed 1080p60 video up to 500'
line-of-sight with less than 1ms delay. The units feature HDMI
72 July 2019 ASC 100th Anniversary
input/output and can be powered via the 3.5mm barrel input
using either a PTap/2-pin power source or one of several available
battery-plate accessories.
Ace 500 is fully compatible with Teradek’s Bolt ecosystem,
allowing users to transmit and receive video from any Bolt 500 or
SmallHD Focus 500 transmitter/receiver.
For additional information, visit teradek.com.
Zeiss Opens Demo Center in Sherman Oaks
The Zeiss Cinema Lens Demo Center is open for business in
Sherman Oaks, Calif. Located at 15260 Ventura Blvd., the state-of-
the-art facility includes a nine-seat 4K HDR theater, an editorial
suite with DaVinci Resolve and Nuke software, a lens-projection
bay equipped with a Gecko-Pro lens-test projector, and displays of
vintage Zeiss lenses and other optical devices.
Cinematographers can arrange private demonstrations by
calling (818) 582-4910 or emailing cineshowroomla@zeiss.com.
Although the showroom is intended for these consultations, the
facility will also be used for educational workshops and events.
“Zeiss is committed to serving the artistic community,” says
Zeiss cine sales manager Snehal Patel, an ASC associate member.
“Our goal is to create a home for cinematographers in Los Angeles
where they can experience all our offerings.”
For additional information, visit zeiss.com.
SmallHD Releases 702 Touch
SmallHD has announced the 702 Touch, a professional 7"
1920x1200 monitor that features a daylight-viewable 1,500-nit
panel and 100-percent DCI-P3 color gamut.
Integrated with Teradek RT, the monitor allows users to
connect a CTRL.1 or CTRL.3 controller for real-time lens data over-
lays, which display critical follow-focus information, including
focal distance, focal length, iris and zoom.
The 702 Touch has a low-profile design, and its signal and
power options allow the on-camera monitor to fit seamlessly into
any workflow. With ports well protected by the aluminum chassis,
the 702 Touch offers two 3G-SDI inputs, a 3G-SDI output, an HDMI
input/output, and four mounting points. Wide-range DC input (10-

34 volts, 2 amps) allows for system power,
while several battery brackets provide
additional flexibility. (The Sony L Series is
included; Gold Mount and V-Mount are
available separately.)
The monitor’s touchscreen
supports five simultaneous touches and
controls the monitor’s SmallHD OS3 soft-
ware and PageBuilder interface. The OS3
toolset provides a variety of on-screen
functions, including customizable HD
waveform, vectorscope, false color, focus
assist/peaking, anamorphic de-squeeze,
framing guides, and storage of unlimited
3D LUTs via SD card.
For additional information, visit
smallhd.com.
Cinefade Ships Updated VariND
Cinefade is now shipping its new
and improved Cmotion Cinefade VariND
system to camera-rental houses and film-
makers worldwide.
Cinefade allows cinematographers
to vary depth-of-field in one shot, gradu-
ally transitioning between a deep and a
shallow depth-of-field while maintaining a
constant exposure. A Cmotion CPro lens-
control system slaves the motorized vari-
able-ND filter to an iris motor and auto-
matically keeps exposure constant while
the iris opens and closes. Cinefade is
compatible with any film or digital camera
and cine lens.
Cinefade won a Cinec Award for
camera technology last year, and the
system has been employed by cinematog-
raphers such as Paul Cameron, ASC,
who used it to accentuate a moment
of extreme drama in the feature The
Commuter. Cameron explains, “I wanted a
severe depth-of-field shift to accentuate
Liam Neeson’s experience, something to
isolate him from his surrounding world as
his character is being fired from his job.
Cinefade was exactly what we were look-
ing for.”
The system no longer requires a
specialist technician to operate. The
VariND is quick and easy to mount, and
the Cmotion CPro lens-control system
supports plug-and-play simplicity via LBUS
cables. The iris motor doubles as the wire-
less receiver.
The Cmotion Cinefade VariND
consists of a Motorized Polarizer and a
Static Polarizer that connect together and
are placed inside a matte box. The circular
polarizers were developed in partnership
with Arri; using the concept of cross-polar-
ization, they attenuate 5+ stops of light
(ND0.4 through ND1.9).
The VariND has multiple practical
applications and can be controlled sepa-
rately, giving the user precise and dynamic
exposure control whenever the camera is
inaccessible — for example, on a
Steadicam capturing an interior-to-exte-
rior transition shot. The Motorized Polar-
izer can also be used by itself in RotaPola
mode to remotely adjust the polarization
angle, which is especially useful on auto-
motive shoots to control and/or animate
reflections. The user can directly control
RotaPola and VariND modes on the filter
itself via two buttons and an OLED screen.
“This is a new storytelling tool, and
there are few preconceptions of how to
use the effect,” says Cinefade inventor
Oliver Janesh Christiansen. “We’re excited
to see how filmmakers will use Cinefade
to continue to push the boundaries of
cinematic language.”
For additional information, visit
cinefade.com.
For more New Products & Services
coverage, visit bit.ly/ACNewProd. u
 INTERNATIONAL MARKETPLACE

74 July 2019 ASC 100th Anniversary

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76
 CLUBHOUSE
NEWS
From left: Giorgio Scali, ASC; Dan Mindel, ASC, BSC, SASC; Richard Crudo, ASC (right) following a special screening of Outside Providence.
Society Welcomes Scali
New active member Giorgio Scali,
ASC began exploring his hometown of New
York City when he was 11, documenting his
life through still photography. His interest
in the art form led to his acceptance at the
School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts
University in Boston, Mass. There, Scali
studied art history and photography, grad-
uating with a BA and BFA.
After college, Scali worked at the
architecture firm CambridgeSeven and
later as a studio photo printer at the Metro-
politan Museum of Art. Following this, Scali
embraced cinema as “the ideal medium
[with which to] orchestrate photography,
art history and design,” he says.
Scali relocated to Los Angeles and
began working as a camera assistant for
prominent cinematographers, including
ASC members Caleb Deschanel, Frederick
Elmes and Vilmos Zsigmond. He later began
shooting commercials for brands including
Volkswagen, Mercedes and Coca-Cola, as
well as music videos for such artists as
Prince and George Michael. Scali’s music-
video credits also include the Foo Fighters’
single “Learn to Fly,” which won the 2001
Grammy Award for Best Music Video.
After photographing the indie
drama All God’s Children Can Dance, Scali
collaborated with Deschanel as 2nd-unit
director of photography on My Sister’s
Keeper, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
78 July 2019
and Unforgettable. He has served as main-
unit director of photography on the
features From the Rough; Baby, Baby,
Baby; and Destination Wedding, as well as
the series Homeland and Billions.
Mindel in Residence
Dan Mindel, ASC, BSC, SASC has
been named the 2019 Kodak Cinematogra-
pher-in-Residence at the UCLA School of
Theater, Film and Television. The residency
began April 29 with hands-on student
workshops and a special screening of Star
Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (AC
Feb. ’16), followed by a Q&A with Mindel,
at the James Bridges Theater on the UCLA
campus. The residency will continue
through a series of workshops and screen-
ings throughout the 2019 academic year.
The Kodak Cinematographer-in-
Residence Program was established in 2000
by William McDonald, a UCLA TFT profes-
sor and ASC associate member. The
program helps bridge the worlds of profes-
sional and academic cinematography,
exposing theater, film and television
students to critically acclaimed industry
veterans who have attained the highest
levels of achievement within the filmmak-
ing industry.
“Dan Mindel’s body of work as a
cinematographer is an impressive repre-
sentation of his technical skill and artistic
talent,” McDonald says. “He is a supreme
ASC 100th Anniversary
visual storyteller, and our students will
learn so much from his extensive experi-
ence as a premier director of photography.
He has a generous spirit, and we are grate-
ful for his enthusiastic willingness to share
his knowledge with this generation of
young filmmakers and those still to come.”
Steve Bellamy, Kodak’s president of
motion picture and entertainment, adds,
“Dan Mindel is one of the industry’s most
respected talents, whom actors, produc-
ers, financiers, and directors dream of
working with. His knowledge of image
Photo of Clubhouse by Isidore Mankofsky, ASC; lighting by Donald M. Morgan, ASC.
capture is up there with the greatest. How
lucky we all are to have him involved with
this program!”
Crudo, Collaborators Celebrate
Outside Providence
On May 1, the Jane Pickens Theater
& Event Center in Newport, R.I., played
host to a reunion and celebration during a
20th-anniversary revival screening of the
1999 comedy Outside Providence,
photographed by Richard Crudo, ASC.
Crudo joined writer-director Michael
Corrente, producers and co-screenwriters
Peter and Bobby Farrelly, as well as other
veterans of the production, for a Q&A
following the screening.
For further coverage and additional
news, visit theasc.com/ac/news.
u
 CLOSE-UP
Stijn Van der Veken, ASC, SBC
When you were a child, what film made
the strongest impression on you?
The Killing Fields, directed by Roland
Joffé and photographed by Chris
Menges [ASC, BSC].
Which cinematographers, past or
present, do you most admire?
I have always been a big fan of [ASC
member] Roger Deakins’ photography,
as his approach is so straightforward
and simple — but not necessarily easy to
accomplish — and it is fully complementary to the storytelling,
every time. And [ASC members] Emmanuel Lubezki, Greig Fraser
and Bradford Young, all for the same reason.
What sparked your interest in photography?
Since I was a young kid, I always liked to photograph stills, follow-
ing in my dad’s footsteps. At age 14, I was cast in a small feature
film, and during the shoot I fell in love with what happened behind
the camera. One year later, I bought my first Bauer Super 8 camera
— sponsored by my dad — and made my first 45-minute feature. I
became so addicted to filmmaking that I decided to become a
cameraman.
Where did you train and/or study?
After high school, I went to a film school in the French-speaking
part of Belgium — Institut des Arts de Diffusion at Louvain-la-
Neuve — for a three-year bachelor’s degree in cinematography. It
wasn’t easy because French isn’t my native tongue, but the school
was so great that I gave up everything so I could complete the
degree. Only 18 students were admitted, and at the end we grad-
uated with eight.
Who were your early teachers or mentors?
My main teacher in film school — an Italian DP named Alessandro
Usaï.
What are some of your key artistic influences?
After I graduated, I attended several workshops with Billy Williams
[BSC] in London and the U.S. He triggered my love for lighting.
How did you get your first break in the business?
I got a call on a Sunday from Brussels-based producer-cinematog-
rapher Wim Robberechts, asking me if I wanted to drive to Paris to
collect a piece of camera equipment he urgently needed. Half an
hour later, I was on my way to help him out. He rewarded me by
asking if I wanted to work for him as a camera assistant. He started
my professional career. I still owe him, as I think you should never
forget who gave you your first chance in this business.
80 July 2019 ASC 100th Anniversary
What has been your most satisfying
moment on a project?
I always try to find a new challenge on
every project. One in particular was a
10-episode World War II drama — The
Emperor of Taste, with Matthias Schoe-
naerts — that I filmed with my brand-
new Arri 416 camera and set of
Arri/Zeiss Master Prime lenses. That
shoot connected me to the Arri family
so closely that I got involved in the test-
ing and development of the Arri Alexa,
thanks to Arri people like Giuseppe Tucconi, Marc Shipman-
Mueller and many others — which I still consider a great privilege!
I am very close to the Arri family to this day.
Have you made any memorable blunders?
Not one — but rather a few, as we all have! The most embarrass-
ing ones are when you imagine and prep a certain approach that
doesn’t seem to work at all, and you have to ask to start all over
again. But small mistakes can also be very annoying.
What is the best professional advice you’ve ever received?
‘Believe in what you do and keep believing in your ambition, even
in difficult times.’ In the beginning, I had a maximum of one day of
work per month. My father told me many times that I shouldn’t
give up. I was close to doing so, but he convinced me not to.
What recent books, films or artworks have inspired you?
Vermeer.
Do you have any favorite genres, or genres you would like to try?
Coen brothers and Denis Villeneuve movies. I would love to shoot
them!
If you weren’t a cinematographer, what might you be doing
instead?
I would be a pilot, as flying is my second passion.
Which ASC cinematographers recommended you for member-
ship?
I was lucky that Kees van Oostrum, Bill Bennett and David Darby
saw my 2013 Oscar-nominated short film, Death of a Shadow,
which I shot. They recommended me for ASC membership.
Photo by Robert Viglasky.
How has ASC membership impacted your life and career?
The ASC is a brilliant organization, and what I like most is teaching
a Master Class every year. This is my contribution to the ASC as an
active member — it is so important to share knowledge. u