300 the Movie

[Phil Rhodes]

I had the inestimable pleasure of seeing 300 at the Universal City Imax on Saturday evening. Although some of the CG was a bit obvious at that scale, I thought it looked fine. Grain amazingly tight; I presume the imax prints are made from the original neg, or lasered out, or something. That projection format is blisteringly unforgiving - there was just one really wince-worthy focus problem on a close-up of Dominic West during the conversation with Lena Heady (where he assaults her). One aliasing problem on the big CGI crane over the ten thousand spartans at the end - the shields shimmer. Otherwise startlingly good. It don't look like that round here!

 

There is of course the issue of whether a movie shot for the "normal" big screen really works in Imax - big closeups, chin-to-eyebrows stuff, become almost overwhelmingly huge; you can't take in the expression without glancing around the screen. But the movie worked superbly in the format otherwise.

 

I know nothing about the way it was shot other than there was obviously a lot of blue/green screen. In point of fact I'm going to have to read up on it...

 

Phil

 

PS - There is a glitch with that particular theatre - there's a shiny vertical line about two thirds of the way across (working left to right) which is quite distracting during bright scenes.

[Adam Paul]

I have been looking for info on how they achieved that look but can't seem to find anything. I know it is a green screen movie, but does anybody know about the process they used to get that look?

[Carlos_Martinez]

im suprised to read a 300 thread and nothave no one mention the amazing physique of the actors lol.

 

 

But any who stylistically its one of my favorite movies. It does what few can acheive in this method of shooting and that is taking something completely abstract and unreal and bring us into it to the point where we do not question it. Great job Mr. Fong.

 

 

 

ON A SIDE NOTE: My freind lost my AC issue with the 300 article in it and well im still very upset about it. I mean cmon who leaves it on the bus :(

 

 

 

carlos martinez

[Charles Papert]

Larry:

 

I've been hunting around for a setup I need to do next week where we need a wide and a tight with the same optical axis (talent must look into lens for both angles). Envisioning a half-silvered mirror with the cameras at right angles, a la old 3D setup. The wrinkle is that both cameras must be operated independently--and possibly dollied (!)

 

Called Clairmont and someone there thought they had read that you used a setup like this on "300"--I was wondering if you had it built and/or if it resides at a rental house in LA somewhere?

 

If anyone else has thoughts on this, happy to hear them--we won't have time or budget to commission a major build. I'm currently considering just getting a substantial half-mirror that will be fixed to the dolly and having both cameras mounted (one normally, the other off the side, possibly on a Sparrow head) so that they can pan and tilt a bit within the mirror.

 

Many thanks...