Epidemic (Lars von Trier)

[Curran Rowe]

Interesting early von Trier film that alternates between 16mm and 35mm black & white.

 

The 35mm sequences are beautifully shot by Danish cinematographer Henning Bendtsen, who was Carl Dreyer's D.P. (!). He later shot the astounding "Europa" for von Trier. Interesting to think of those two working together...

 

In the commentary on the Epidemic DVD, von Trier said that whenever Bendtsen put in his diffusion filter, "he would make everyone on set turn their backs" so he could keep the type of filter he used a secret.

 

If you've seen the film, the diffusion filter created halation, overblown windows and glowing highlights (the white lab coats of the doctors glowed brilliantly) Robert Richardson-style. However, the image seemed to remain razor sharp, snappy and contrasty.

 

So, all this begs the question: what filter do you think Bendtsen used?

 

What is the best way to get your highlights to pop up glowing like that but at the same type maintain a very sharp image and not suffer from the softening effects that a soft or frost diffusion filter will give you?

[David Mullen ASC]

I suppose digital diffusion would be the only real way to get glowing highlights overlaid on a sharp image. Otherwise, it's just testing the various light-scattering filters to see which ones cause more halation and less softening.

 

Overexposure is also a factor -- a lighter grade filter will soften less, but the halation can still be pronounced with enough overexposure in select areas.

 

Tiffen tells me that the later generation of Fog Filters they made were improved for definition (some designs tended to throw the image out of focus slightly). Harrison Double-Fogs also cause more halation than they do softening, but they also cause a hazy low-con look like flashing does.

 

I think it would probably be a Fog or ProMist for the look you describe, perhaps the new Tiffen GlimmerGlass.

 

If you want more contrast, then the Black ProMist, Classic Soft or the Soft-FX. But print stock choice, etc. can also restore contrast lost by diffusion filters. I used heavy ProMists on "Northfork" but the high-contrast effect of the skip-bleach process in printing did a lot to also restore sharpness.

 

There's no free lunch here -- filters that cause halation, by definition, cause a loss of contrast and some softening.

Edited November 11, 2004 by David Mullen