Roger Deakins will shoot Hail Caesar! on film

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Postby Roger » Fri Oct 10, 2014 7:19 am

We had a lot of low light work on 'Skyfall' and this led us toward the Alexa. I have just been shooting tests for 'Hail Caesar', which we will shoot on film and in LA. Hard to tell a difference really!


more info from Roger about his plans on shooting this film:
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I wanted to ask Roger, can you perhaps describe your process of breaking down a script as part of your pre production?

All the best.

Tom
Tomhines

Re: Script breakdown
Postby Roger » Fri Oct 10, 2014 2:16 pm

I am doing just that for the Coen Brother's film I am now working on. For me the process of breaking down a script into a visual plan takes place over a long period and doesn't really end until the camera is running.
The 'look' of any film comes from talking the script through with the director, maybe from looking through reference materials and from general scouting of locations as well. Things get discussed and ideas get passed about but I guess that most of what I do, in terms of how I light a scene, is intuitive and not based on anything but my reaction to the script. When I have developed some ideas well enough I will make extensive diagrams to reflect the lighting that I have in my head. During this process I start to see what is going to work and what might be impractical, given the location or set that I have to work with. After I have all my diagrams I will discuss them with my Gaffer and Key Grip and they will become ever more finessed. Most of the time these plans carry through to the shoot pretty well unchanged but I leave myself open to completely jettison any preconceptions I have if I see something simpler on the day of shooting.

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Postby Roger » Fri Oct 10, 2014 7:19 am

We had a lot of low light work on 'Skyfall' and this led us toward the Alexa. I have just been shooting tests for 'Hail Caesar', which we will shoot on film and in LA. Hard to tell a difference really!

What does it mean when they say "on film".....????

Well that means they dont film it in digital

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by Roger » Wed Oct 01, 2014 2:15 pm

Yes, I am working on 'Hail Caesar' at the moment and we are shooting on film! I doubt that there will be any films shooting on film in another 10 years simply because I doubt there will be the manufacturing or the processing to support it. I hope I am wrong as there should, ideally, always be that choice for those who prefer the 'look' of film.

by Roger » Sun Oct 05, 2014 5:46 pm

The film we are shooting is set in the Hollywood of 1952 and the Coens felt it only right that we shoot on film. I think they have a point. I am really looking forward to using my old 535B from Otto Nemetz.

I was really hoping this project would shoot on film. It just makes sense.

In a somewhat unprecedented collaboration, the major studios got together and made a deal with Kodak that they would purchase a certain amount of film stock every year, for the next 5 (?) years, I think. Kodak was about to shut down production and put people out of work, because digital has destroyed that business. But several directors and producers, led by Spielberg (again, if I recall correctly) convinced the studios to put together a package that kept them going. I think it was a great move, and very protective of the history and culture of film. 

It will be interesting to see how they divvy up the stock. I'll bet guys like Spielberg, Tarrantino, and maybe George will get it for the asking.

OK I know I will sound stupid now. Sevens explained above already that on film means no digital. So does that mean they film it the old fashion way with the camera below? I'm still confused...sorry....

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Yeah, they're a tad more advanced than that one, but you have the idea.

And you don't sound stupid at all.



BTW, some of the digital cameras look like the film ones. The cynic in me says that was a marketing tool so directors would feel okay about making the switch.

 thanks