what HD actually stands for

Keneu Luca · March 8, 2010

Hardly Dead

Here is a recent article that discusses THE HURT LOCKER, some other films, and the status and future of 16mm.

http://www.imago.org/index.php?new=197

"More than three years have passed since the BBC appeared anxious to drive a lethal nail in the coffin marked Super 16mm by prematurely declaring it was unsuitable for transmitting on High Definition television...Super 16mm now has a healthy future."

The article:

Awards Boost for Super 16mm Film

by Nigel Walters BSC, Imago President

Barry Ackroyd BSC has been awarded the BAFTA for Best cinematography on The Hurt Locker, which he shot in Jordan using Super 16mm cameras . The film was the major winner at this years BAFTA securing six Awards including best Sound and Editing as well as Best Film and Director for Kathleen Bigelow. It also won the original Screenplay BAFTA

Kathryn Bigelow said “This is a great honour and a wonderful compliment to everyone who worked on the film. I’ve always believed that the secret of film-making is that it is essentially a collaborative medium.”

Barry Ackroyd must now wait anxiously until the Academy Awards for results on March 7th for which he is Oscar nominated for Best Cinematography on The Hurt Locker.

This award is another boost for the acceptability of Super 16mm film for the Big Screen.

This follows the success in last year’s Oscars for “The Wrestler” also shot on Super 16mm which secured two nominations plus winning the BAFTA Best Actor for Mickey Rourke.

Cinematographers on two of the finest Action dramas for several years (Barry Ackroyd and Paris born Maryse Alberti for “The Wrestler”) have chosen Super 16mm as the best tool for the job.

When asked if he had any difficulty convincing his director that the best format for shooting “The Hurt Factor” was on Super 16mm. Barry recalls referring Kathryn Bigelow to another of his films, also shot on Super 16mm, “The Battle in Seattle”.

The cost saving was not an issue but the flexibility and lightness of carrying the Aaton XTR cameras with zoom lenses around the Jordanian desert became a deciding factor. The alternative was a 35mm camera with a zoom lens which was alone kilos heavier than the lighter weight Cooke lenses he was using. “Kathryn had never directed a film shot on Super 16mm but had complete confidence in my judgement that it was the finest tool for the job” added Barry.” She is an amazing director, a delight to work with; we connected very well. Women directors somehow are able get the best out of crews”. He went on to describe the challenge of capturing the intensity of the drama by effectively using his cameras, under her direction, to search inside the faces of the leading actors. The Hurt Factor shot in 2007 almost disappeared from the face of the earth until it was revived by critical acclaim following packed audience showings in New York. Death by DVD was thus postponed and exhibitors found. The result is an anxious wait for the Bafta and Oscar results especially for Kathryn Bigelow who is rivalled in the Best Director category by her former husband James Cameron.

The task of the Cinematographer choosing the right camera and format for the job will be eased by the imminent launch of a new Web Site, Image- Forum.org .This new website has been specifically designed to enable help Directors and Producers make informed decisions when planning a film. Imago has assisted the formation of this important impartial web site for all film makers and start date will be announced shortly on this web site with a link to the web site at Image-Forum.Org.

More than three years have passed since the BBC appeared anxious to drive a lethal nail in the coffin marked Super 16mm by prematurely declaring it was unsuitable for transmitting on High Definition television. As Imago predicted advances in technology since 2006 through grain reduction and improved film negative have alleviated the compression difficulties in transmitting on High Definition. These technological advances are ongoing. Super 16mm now has a healthy future. When used selectively it can be the right tool for the job as proven on so many successful films in recent years such as City of God, Vera Drake, and Man on Wire.” Slumdog Millionaire” is a classic case of the cinematographer choosing himself the right tools for the job with incredible results while many prestigious BBC dramas continue to be shot on Super 16mm film.

The march of High Definition has resulted in an increase in the popularity of 35mm film enhanced by the cost saving in 3 or 2 perf shooting. Many directors and cinematographers have yet to find an alternative to that indefinable quality which makes film such a magical format. High definition has arrived to liberate cinematographers not to imprison them.

“Precious”, another Oscar and Bafta favourite this year was shot by Andrew Dunn BSC on 3 perf as was Christian Berger AAC’s “The White Ribbon” which won the recent Golden Globe best Foreign Language Film award. Barry Ackroyd is exploring the possibility of shooting 35mm 2 perf with the Aaton Penelope on his next film “Coriolanus”, which is set to shoot in March in Belgrade and be directed by Ralph Fiennes.” Hunger” was the first major European Feature to be shot on 2 perforation film (Cinematographer, Sean Bobbitt BSC)

The first decade of the 21st century may well be remembered for its technological advances and the amount of energy cinematographers have used conducting evaluation tests. The knowledge we have acquired should now be used by cinematographers to channel more creative resources towards shooting such fine films as “The Wrestler” and “The Hurt Locker”. Hopefully the “Decade of Technology” will make way gracefully for the “Decade of Creativity”.

Nigel Walters BSC

Imago President

Alessandro Machi · March 8, 2010

Can you imagine how incredible Avatar would have looked, if it had been shot on film.

Keneu Luca · March 9, 2010

Can you imagine how incredible Avatar would have looked, if it had been shot on film.

I'm probably the only person on this site who hasn't seen Avatar yet.

John Sprung · March 9, 2010

Hardly Dead

Harley-Davidson. Just ask Bob Hopkins from Sony and Garrett Smith from Paramount. ;-)

-- J.S.

George Ebersole · March 9, 2010

I'm probably the only person on this site who hasn't seen Avatar yet.

Wait for it to hit the bargain bin at Walmart.

Tony Brown · March 9, 2010

I'm probably the only person on this site who hasn't seen Avatar yet.

And I'm probably the only one who thought Hurt Locker was, at best, ordinary.

Todd Anderson · March 9, 2010

"The cost saving was not an issue but the flexibility and lightness of carrying the Aaton XTR cameras with zoom lenses around the Jordanian desert became a deciding factor. The alternative was a 35mm camera with a zoom lens which was alone kilos heavier than the lighter weight Cooke lenses he was using."

In the above quote, would it be safe to assume that there was an error in stating that they used Cooke (zooms?). I would think they meant Canon zooms, as the only S16 Cooke zoom was the older 10.4-52mm. Which while a fine lens, I would assume they needed the reach of the Canon long zooms (11-165mm or 11.5-138mm)?