Jump to content

Excalibur


Recommended Posts

  • Premium Member

Seconded! Years ago I got a great deal on a case for 4x5 filters which happened to include a full set of Tiffen low con filters. My first thought was, "Excalibur... sweet..."

 

Errr, did Thomson use low cons on Excalibur?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

Seconded! Years ago I got a great deal on a case for 4x5 filters which happened to include a full set of Tiffen low con filters. My first thought was, "Excalibur... sweet..."

 

Errr, did Thomson use low cons on Excalibur?

 

Maybe somewhere, but mainly he used Harrison Black Dot Texture Screens (sort of a forerunner to something like Classic Soft Blacks) and sometimes a white net on the back of the lens.

 

"Barry Lyndon" was mostly shot with a #3 Low-Con, except for the f/0.7 candlelight shots. A few shots also had a net on the lens, I don't know front or back. The wedding scene, for example, and I think the bath scene where Barry comes in and kisses Lady Lyndon in the bathtub in the daytime.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

A few shots also had a net on the lens, I don't know front or back.

What is difference visually when using netting over the front or behind the lens? Do you know if popular cinematographers like Janusz Kaminski prefer one over the other. What technique for netting the lens do you prefer?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

The score for this movie was terrific. And I love that shot of the hand of the Lady Of The Lake pulling the sword back down underwater, I've always wondered how they did that shot? The sword just goes straight down.

 

R,

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

The score for this movie was terrific. And I love that shot of the hand of the Lady Of The Lake pulling the sword back down underwater, I've always wondered how they did that shot? The sword just goes straight down.

 

R,

 

I think they built a mechanical rig for the sword and fake hand/arm poking out of the water and going back down, but for that shot where Percival tosses the sword and the hand catches it at the end, I think that was a reversed shot, the sword was yanked out of the hand.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am guessing because they used a tripod and you can actually see what's happening.

 

Ha, good one. When I was making Dark Reprieve a lot of people asked me if I would do it all handheld. I said no I was breaking with tradition and it would all be tri-pod mounted shots.

 

R,

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

Ha, good one. When I was making Dark Reprieve a lot of people asked me if I would do it all handheld. I said no I was breaking with tradition and it would all be tri-pod mounted shots.

 

R,

 

That's what I like about you Richard, you're a true rebel. You probably shot it on some weird medium like film too. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know crazy! I even used this new device called a dolly, and another new invention....the camera jib. It makes the shots like all crazy smooth and stuff.

 

R,

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I was helping a student friend to shoot a documentary about Ardmore studios and "Excalibur" was one of the films being shot at the time. We tried to get permission to film some behind the scenes material, but that was turned down. However, we did sneak onto the set when they were rehearsing the shot where Igrayne came down the stairs to dance. They'd taken over all the stages and even knocked a hole in one stage's exterior wall for one of the Camelot sets.

 

BTW Neil Jordan directed the making of documentary.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is a film that I always enjoy watching when it comes on TV. I first saw it back in primary school in the early 80s. One of the things that stands out for me is the mist. There was a lot of mist in this film! I think they had their smoke machines running overtime.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...