Tim Tyler

LOS ANGELES, August 17 - Fred Koenekamp, ASC will receive the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Lifetime Achievement Award, which is given annually to an individual who has made exceptional and enduring contributions to advancing the art of cinematography. The presentation will be made during the 19th Annual ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards on February 20 at the Century Plaza Hotel. "Fred Koenekamp was in the front ranks of a new wave of cinematographers who entered the industry and enriched the art of visual storytelling during the 1960s and 1970s," says ASC President Richard Crudo. "His work was original and innovative. He has entertained and educated audiences with a remarkably enduring body of work. His adventurous spirit and artistry are a source of inspiration for filmmakers everywhere." Koenekamp has compiled some 90 cinematography credits, beginning in 1964 with the classic The Man From U.N.C.L.E. television series, for which he earned Emmy® nominations (in 1965 for black and white and 1966 for color cinematography) and shot over 100 episodes. He shared a 1974 Academy Award® with Joseph Biroc, ASC for their collaboration on The Towering Inferno.. Koenekamp also earned Oscar® nominations for Islands in the Stream and Patton. His other memorable films include The Great Bank Robbery, Billy Jack, Kansas City Bomber, The Amityville Horror, Papillon and Fun With Dick and Jane. Koenekamp joins a relatively short list of distinguished recipients of the ASC Lifetime Achievement Award, including Biroc, George Folsey, ASC, Stanley Cortez, ASC, Charles Lang, Jr., ASC, Phil Lathrop, ASC, Haskell Wexler, ASC, Conrad L. Hall, ASC, Gordon Willis, ASC, Sven Nykvist, ASC, Owen Roizman, ASC, Victor J. Kemper, ASC, Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC, William Fraker, ASC, Vittorio Storaro, ASC, AIC, Laszlo Kovacs, ASC, Bill Butler ASC and Michael Chapman, ASC. The cinematographer is a second-generation filmmaker. His father, Hans Koenekamp, ASC began his career as a cinematographer at Mack Sennett Studios in 1913. He shot Charlie Chaplin and Keystone Kop comedy serials, and earned a string of feature film credits before shifting his focus to visual effects. Hans Koenekamp received the ASC Presidents Award in 1991. They are the first father and son to be honored by ASC. "I spent many Saturdays at Warner Bros. Studios watching my father at work," Koenekamp reminisces, "but I had no intention of following in his footsteps. I was an aviation buff. I wanted to learn how to fly and become a pilot." His plans to pursue a career in aviation were interrupted by the outbreak of World War II. Koenekamp served in the military for the duration. His first job after the war was in the camera department at RKO Studios. He spent 19 years working on camera crews with many exceptional cinematographers, including Joseph Ruttenberg, ASC, John Alton, ASC, Robert Surtees, ASC and Frank Phillips, ASC. "My early years in the industry were like going to school," he says. "I learned that you have got to really believe in the story for a film to truly move people. It has to sink into your brain and body, so you can relate with the characters and with what is happening to them. I think that is the most important lesson I learned. When that happens, the cinematography falls into place with the story, acting, directing and everything else.." When production in the feature film industry temporarily slowed down in 1963, Koenekamp worked as a camera operator on the television series Gunsmoke. That led to his first cinematography credit for the inaugural season of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Koenekamp went on to earn critical raves in 1970 for Patton, his first of five collaborations with director Frank Schaffner. "The first day, there was a scene where Patton (George C. Scott), was having his portrait painted in a castle," the cinematographer recalls. "That's when I realized it was going to be a very special movie. As the picture went on, I started thinking of George as Patton. It was like we were there while history was being made, and it was our responsibility to make the audience see and feel what it was like." Koenekamp counts Papillon among his personal favorite films. This movie vividly reenacts a true story about Henri Charriere (Steve McQueen), a petty criminal in France who was wrongfully convicted of murder. "This is a story about the endurance of the human spirit, set in an exotic environment," Koenekamp says. "It was a wonderful script with great performances. Frank Schaffner brought out the best in everyone. Most of the story was filmed in Jamaica, but there is a dramatic scene where Papillon dives into the ocean off a very high cliff. There was no appropriate location in Jamaica. There was some talk about doing a blue screen visual effects shot, but Frank insisted on finding the right location. We filmed that scene in Maui. I really believe the audiences senses that it is real." Koenekamp shot dramatic sequences in The Towering Inferno, and Biroc filmed the action scenes, including fires and explosions. Koenekamp relates that it was a true collaboration. He and Biroc discussed and experimented with lighting, colors and other nuances which amplified the dramatic performances depicting desperate efforts to rescue people trapped in the midst of an horrific fire. The visual tension is palpable. "I think it takes another cinematographer to understand and really appreciate Fred Koenekamp's contributions to telling artful stories," says ASC Vice President Owen Roizman, who chairs the ASC Awards Committee which organizes the annual event, "There are subtle things that are transparent to the audience in his work, which are as important as the words in the script. Something as subtle as the way a shadow fleetingly falls on someone's face can give you an insight into a character during an important moment in a story." Roizman points out that scripts rarely, if ever, instruct cinematographers to put a shadow on the character's eyes to conceal his thoughts at that moment. That comes from the cinematographer's understanding of the story, character and the intentions of the director. Koenekamp cites Islands in the Stream, another film directed by Schaffner and featuring Scott, on his personal list of favorite endeavors. Scott plays a painter and sculptor who seeks comfort from the horrors of World War II in the seclusion of the tropical island of Bimini. Koenekamp's sensitive cinematography probes into the heart and soul of a lonely human being. "I'm very proud of the results of the day-for-night lighting on this one," he adds. "I'm frequently asked how I did it." During the mid-1980s through the early 1990s, Koenekamp authored visuals for many television movies including such memorable titles as Alice in Wonderland, News at Eleven and The B.R.A.T. Patrol. His television credits also include Not My Kid, Flight 90: Disaster on the Potomac, Kung Fu and Disaster on the Coastliner. "I've never thought of television as a lesser art form," he says. "You are typically working with smaller budgets and tighter schedules, but that doesn't mean you have to make creative compromises or that it isn't a story worth telling." Koenekamp earned his last feature film credit in 1991 for Flight of the Intruder. He also filmed a number of TV commercials, including one remarkable 30-second story featuring the legendary hoofer Ann Miller dancing in front of, behind and around giant bubbles while water spouts were shooting into the air at different heights. "Stan Freberg was the director, and the commercial was designed to sell soup," he recalls, "but, you can't trivialize your work because its only an ad. Those 30 seconds of film include images that are a beautiful memory.." ASC traces its roots to the dawn of the motion picture industry in 1913, when the Cinema Club in New York and the Static Club in Los Angeles were organized by the first generation of cinematographers, who were literally inventing a new visual language. Members of those two clubs organized ASC in January 1919. There were 15 charter members, whose primary purpose for the new organization was to advance the art and craft of visual storytelling. New members were invited to join based upon their bodies of narrative film work. There are some 275 ASC members today from many nations around the world, and 140 associate members from allied sectors of the industry. For information about the 19th Annual ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards, call 323-969-4333, or visit the ASC website at www.theASC.com.

Neal Fredericks, the cinematographer of the low-budget but successful horror film "The Blair Witch Project," was killed in a plane crash while filming a movie over the Dry Tortugas, his agent said. Fredericks, 35, was dragged down by the wreckage of a single-engine Cessna as the pilot and three other members of his film crew escaped to be later rescued, the Coast Guard said. A team of U.S. Army Special Forces divers recovered the body of Fredericks inside the submerged plane on Sunday, a day after the crash about 70 miles west of Key West. Fredericks collaborated with writers Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick on "The Blair Witch Project," an intense, atmospheric horror movie about three student filmmakers who venture into the woods in search of a spooky legend. The 1999 film, shot with hand-held cameras for a realistic feel, was hailed as a low-budget-to-blockbuster success story, made for almost nothing while grossing more than $240 million worldwide at the box office. Fredericks also worked on more than two dozens films in his career. Charles Lenhoff, Fredericks' agent, said Monday the veteran cinematographer was working on a new film when the crash took place. "He was an immensely talented, low key, unassuming, kind and gentle person," Lenhoff told The Associated Press on Monday. "He was right on the threshold of a creative breakthrough in terms of his career." Sanchez said Monday he was stunned to hear about the death of his friend. Sanchez and Fredericks first met in 1987 when they were students at Montgomery College Rockville, Md. He described the slim, blond-haired Fredericks as a warm, funny, giving person. "He was part of everything I've shot since high school. It's going to be hard to get on the next set without him," Sanchez said in a telephone interview. "It was really tragic how he died, but at the same time he died doing what he loved." Sanchez recalled how a younger Fredericks would wake up at 5 a.m. to drive an hour to operate a camera on a feature "that was paying no one and treating the crew pretty bad, as I recall." "He's just one of the most passionate people I've ever known when it comes to filmmaking," Sanchez said. On his Web site, Sanchez wrote about how Fredericks handled the challenge of working on a project as unique as "Blair Witch." "Blair Witch didn't need to be lit, so he didn't light it," Sanchez wrote. "It didn't need a camera operator, so he didn't operate. What he did do was make sure those actors knew everything they could and had everything they needed to keep shooting, to keep getting those images into the camera." Park rangers took the four survivors of the crash on Sunday to nearby Fort Jefferson, a 19th century island fort in the remote Dry Tortugas National Park west of Key West. The privately owned, single-engine Cessna departed from the Florida Keys Marathon Airport. Fredericks was born in Newport Beach, Calif., and lived in Los Angeles. Funeral arrangements were being planned, Lenhoff said.

LOS ANGELES, August 10, 2004 - The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) has issued a call for entries in three television categories for the 19th Annual ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards competition. The three categories are Episodic Television, Movie/Miniseries/Pilot made for Network TV, and Movie/Miniseries/Pilot for Cable TV. Winners will be announced at the ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards celebration at the Century Plaza Hotel on February 20, 2005. "This competition is a celebration of a powerful storytelling medium that reaches into virtually every home," says Owen Roizman, ASC, chairman of the ASC Awards Committee. "In addition to recognizing those individuals who have set the contemporary standards for artistic excellence in this demanding form of artistic expression, our goal is to inspire the pursuit of excellence." ASC President Richard Crudo points out that the ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards is the only competition for cinematographers where the nominees and winners are selected solely by their peers. "Artistic achievement in cinematography is often transparent because it rarely calls attention to itself," he says. "Only a cinematographer can truly recognize the nuance of light, shadow, color, composition and camera movement. These are what we use to establish a sense of time and place and to amplify mood and performance. We communicate with images in the same way writers communicate with words." For eligibility in all three of the television categories, programs must air for the first time in 2004. The deadline for submissions is noon on January 3, 2005. For more information regarding rules and/or to download an entry form, visit the ASC website at www.theasc.com, or call 323-969-4333.

Organizers of the Hollywood Film Festival and Hollywood Awards have announced Caleb Deschanel will be honored as Hollywood cinematographer of the year. Deschanel -- a four-time Oscar nominee -- will receive the award during the festival in Hollywood, Oct. 12-18. The American Society of Cinematographers will use the occasion to celebrate its 85th anniversary. The program will include conferences featuring leading cinematographers, as well as screenings of films followed by question-and-answer sessions with cinematographers. Deschanel was the cinematographer on Mel Gibson's box-office hit The Passion of the Christ. He received Academy Award nominations for his work on The Natural, The Right Stuff, Fly Away Home and The Patriot.

The remake of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" experienced a delay on Wednesday when a worker dropped a $540,000 camera lens in a vat of chocolate. The technician had failed to properly secure his wire-held camera, and watched aghast as it plunged into the 3-feet-deep tank. One source on the English set says, "When the camera fell it was like a slap-stick scene straight from the movie. "A team of riggers had come in specially from the States to set it up over the vat of synthetic chocolate. But someone made a mistake and it wasn't secured properly. "The production team didn't know whether to laugh or cry. The camera is probably beyond repair." A film spokesperson adds, "Technical tests were being carried out to see how close the camera could be moved to the chocolate. "A camera did go into the liquid owing to a mechanical fault." The film is being shot by cinematographer Philippe Rousselot ("Big Fish", "Antwone Fisher") . Camera department personel include Rene Adefarasin (2nd AC), and John Conroy (1st AC).

Canon's new XL2 camcorder offers an evolutionary design and new professional features ? including a choice of 60i, 24p or 30p frame rates, 4:3 or high resolution 16:9 aspect ratio, new 680,000 pixel progressive scan CCDs, and a full line of customizable controls for cine-looking results. Along with its new 20x interchangeable lens, this new Mini-DV camcorder empowers cinematographers and videographers with a completely customizable broadcast and feature film quality acquisition tool. The professional series XL2 camcorder replaces one of the most successful and iconic products in Canon's history ? the XL1S ? as the company's new digital video camcorder flagship. Canon's new XL2 camcorder evolves the "open architecture" concept of its XL1 and XL1S predecessors beyond body design to include a wide range of customisable cine-like looks and enhanced image controls previously unavailable in the Mini-DV format. "It is our goal to provide an affordable, high-performance Mini-DV camcorder for the professional and serious amateur," said Yukiaki Hashimoto, senior vice president and general manager of the consumer imaging group at Canon USA, Inc., a subsidiary of Canon Inc. (NYSE: CAJ). "By intentionally 'over-engineering' this product, Canon expects the XL2 camcorder to be immediately popular with movie makers, documentary, corporate, electronic news gathering, wedding and event videographers, because it gives them the features, control and versatility they need." Open Architecture on the Inside Image Quality/Aspect Ratio The 3CCD progressive scan system utilized by the XL2 camcorder provides 16:9 (962 x 480 pixels) and 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) recording. The camcorder's third generation signal processing LSI (large scale integrated circuit) improves Signal/Noise ratio to realize higher resolution than XL1s camcorder. Frame Rate Options The XL2 camcorder provides users with frame rate options needed to achieve a wide range of "film" looks. Whether shooting standard video for television or video for transfer to film with extremely high resolution, the XL2 camcorder features 60i, 30p, 24p (2:3 and 2:3:3:2) frame rates, so that cinematographers and electronic news gatherers have the flexibility to create virtually any desired look and feel. When shooting 30p, the camera operator has the ability to capture 30 full frames per second. When shooting sports, users can freeze an image, capturing the full frame, or slow motion down for that "instant replay" effect. The 24p (2:3:3:2) frame rate is now widely adopted by those transferring video to film. But film and videographers turn to 24p for the "cine" look, even if their productions are not going to be transferred to film, simply because of the "look" of the 24p frame rate. Just as important as 24p frame rate, is the 1/48th per second shutter speed, which is the standard for movie cameras. The XL2 camcorder's combination of 24p frame rate and 1/48th per second shutter speed matches a motion film camera. When producers use the 24p with 2:3 pulldown feature, it produces video with the look and motion of film. The 24p frame rate used in conjunction with a cine gamma curve on the XL2 camcorder, produces images that have similar tonal characteristics as film. This mode is used when the finished video will be shown on television, while 24p with 2:3:3:2 pulldown, is used when the video is going to be transferred to film (The 2:3:3:2 pulldown allows editing software to extract true 24 frames a second.). Cine-Like Color and Control With "big name" and not so well known producers turning to digital video for their movie-making needs, these moviemakers place an increasing emphasis on delivering the "film" look to video. The Canon XL2 camcorder offers users the ability to customize their video recordings using a number of variables: Gamma, Knee, Black, Color Matrix, Vertical Detail, Sharpness, Coring, Noise Reduction, Color Gain, Color Phase And Film Grain. Each one of these can be adjusted independently, thereby giving the camera operator precise control over the "film-like" appearance of their video. Professional videographers need control of the camcorder set-up. From complete automatic setting to fine adjustments of Master RGB Gain; Setup Level; Master Pedestal; Skin Detail; Program AE; Gain; AE Shift and Lock; White Balance; Shutter Speeds; Aperture Control; Zebra Pattern; Clear Scan and Interval Timer, the XL2 camcorder has the total image control that professionals need. Camera operators can create three custom presets of their desired camera settings, which can be recalled at a later date or shared with another XL2 camcorder via IEEE 1394 connection. White balance can be adjusted to true white or manually set to either outdoor (5600K) or indoor (3200K). Camera operators can save up to three custom white balance settings. Video gain is now available in seven steps from -3dB to +18dB, including a new +3dB gain setting. Professional Features at An Affordable Price Point The Canon XL2 camcorder offers many on-camera enhancements to help capture high-quality footage, including features commonly found on broadcast camcorders. Among these is the inclusion of a SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) time code on the tape. The XL2 camcorder offers camera operators SMPTE color bars and a 1khz reference tone (-12dB and -20dB), for set up of monitors and edit suites. Camera operators can choose Drop, Non-Drop, Rec Run and Free Run modes. User bit settings are also provided, allowing the inclusion of reel number or other user data. The SMPTE time code is used to identify a precise location on a video tape, a mainstay of professional editing, allowing all tape and equipment to work together for precise editing. Open Architecture On The Outside The XL2 camcorder's open architecture and modular design allows users to build their ideal camcorder system with interchangeable lenses, viewfinders and shoulder mounts. The Canon XL2 camcorder remains the only Mini-DV camcorder that users can customize to fit the needs of specific shooting applications. The camcorder permits the use of most Canon and third party accessories. The shoulder pad and XLR Audio connectors are now built in to the camera body. The Canon Lens System and Its New Addition With the XL2 camcorder's interchangeable lenses and adapters, users have focal length options that match their creative and technical needs. With the XL2 camcorder's XL mounting system, users can choose from an array of wide angle, manual and auto focus zoom lenses as well as fixed-focal length and telephoto lenses. In addition to accepting the full line up of Canon's XL lenses ? including the 16x IS II Auto focus lens, 16x Mechanical Servo Zoom lens, 3x Wide Angle, the 1.6x Extender and the EF adaptor for use with Canon's full line of EF photographic lenses - Canon is launching a new Professional L-series 20X Optical zoom lens. The new lens incorporates Fluorite elements for superior contrast, resolution and color fidelity through the reduction of chromatic aberration. This 20x IS Optical zoom lens offers a fast f/1.6 to f/3.5 aperture for users that shoot under the most demanding lighting conditions. At an aspect ratio of 4:3, the 20x zoom range is an impressive 51.8mm to 1036mm (35mm equivalent). At the 16:9 aspect ratio, it is an equally impressive 42.2mm to 844mm (35mm equivalent). The lens comes equipped with versatile features, including: a 72mm filter thread; 6-blade iris diaphragm; 2 independent ND filters; Electronic focus ring; Electronic zoom ring; Zoom present position; Focus preset position; and optical image stabilization. Super Range Optical Image Stabilization Canon's optical image stabilization (OIS) system corrects camera shake instantly so even hand held shots, at full telephoto, and shots taken from a moving car, are smooth and steady. Because it is optical, it can compensate for a greater degree if camera shake and avoids any loss in image quality, unlike some electronics image stabilizers. Other optical image stabilizers use a gyro sensor to detect camcorder vibration (the data from which controls a vari-angle prism that continuously corrects the path of the incoming light). Canon's SuperRange OIS system goes one step further by examining the image after the CCD receives it and detecting any low-frequency vibrations missed by the gyro. This data is fed back to accelerate and refine the movement of the vari-angle prism. This greatly improves performance for low frequency vibration, resulting in the most advanced optical image stabilization available today. Field of View Canon is launching a new multi functional color electronic viewfinder (EVF) and 2" LCD monitor with left, right, fore, aft mechanical adjustments for greater balance; 16:9 letterbox display; LCD indicators (REC/SHUTTER/GAINUP); center marker; viewfinder brightness, color, sharpness and contrast adjustments. The new LCD screen flips up for distance recording, so users can work up to two feet away. When selecting the high-resolution 16:9 aspect ratio, the camcorder uses the full width of the CCD. When camera operators look through the viewfinder, their footage will be displayed in letterbox style, so users can compose widescreen images precisely. This way, when the video is later edited in postproduction, or when viewed on a 16:9 monitor, users will see exactly what they intended. Range of Audio Options The XL2 camcorder offers 4-channel audio with independent control of each audio channel built into the camera body. It also includes two built-in XLR connectors with 48v phantom power. These inputs are designed for use with professional microphones. These connections allow for the use of very long cables without the introduction of outside noise. Condenser microphones need "phantom power," with the voltage going to the microphone along the same wires that carry the audio signals. The camcorder supplies this through the XLR connectors. The XL2 camcorder includes a built-in BNC connector, which is used in professional and broadcast video applications. This terminal connects a two-wire coaxial cable using a bayonet mount. Accessories When specific accessories compatible with the XL2 camcorder's Advanced Accessory Shoe are attached, the camcorder can exchange data and supply power directly to them. These accessories include the VL-3 video light, VFL-1 video flash light (light only), and DM-50 directional microphone. The MA-300 microphone adaptor also works with the Advance Accessory Shoe, which lets camera operators connect an additional two professional XLR connector microphones to the camcorder. They simply slide the optional device into the accessory shoe, no external power or cables are required. Software Developers Kit (SDK) To further emphasize the "open architecture" concept of the new XL2 camcorder, Canon is offering a software developer's kit. This SDK will permit developers to expand the functionality and performance of the XL2 camcorder. With this kit, developers can create customized software controls for such features as zoom, focus and image controls; and such image controls as white balance and Master RGB gain. These customized software applications may then be sold independently for customized looks or shared amongst the community of users. Pricing and Availability The Canon XL2 camcorder will be available at Canon U.S.A. authorized dealers in August for an estimated selling price of $4,999*.

Italian director of photography Carlo Di Palma died on Friday, July 9 at the age of 79. The revered cinematographer died in his native Rome after succumbing to a long illness, according to news reports. Di Palma was born on April 17, 1925 in Rome. He entered the film business as a camera assistant and began working as a cinematographer in 1954. It was his command of color on director Michelangelo Antonioni's "The Red Desert" in 1964 that first gained him attention and acclaim. What followed was a long and lucrative career working alongside Italy's most respected directors. His impressive resume includes: Antonioni's chilling mystery "Blow-Up," "Ossessione" for Luchino Visconti, Robert Rossellini's "Rome, Open City," Bernardo Bertolucci's "Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man," Pietro Germi's "Divorce, Italian Style, Ettore Scola's "Jealousy, Italian Style," and Vittorio De Sica's "The Bicycle Thief." In the '80s, Di Palma began his multi-film collaboration with American director Woody Allen. The 11 films include "Hannah and Her Sisters," "Manhattan Murder Mystery," "Bullets Over Broadway," "Mighty Aphrodite" and "Deconstructing Harry." Di Palma is survived by his wife Adriana Chiesa, a film distribution executive.

As he sits talking about everything from the joys of a good pinot noir to the digital age's effect on his chosen profession, Michael Seresin sees the sun setting over the Marlborough Sounds. Like anyone, he enjoys a good sunset. Except when he's working. Then, to see a good sunset can mean an abrupt end to a bad day. A collective panic called We're losing the light. You may think that having one stressful career partly-dependent on the elements is quite enough. Seresin has two. First, he's a cinematographer - the guy who helps a movie's director decide how a film should look and then does it. He's recognised as among the best in his craft after a near 40-year career and a long list of credits, a few of which were elevated from mediocrity by his eye. His latest film is also his biggest: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron and Seresin have been widely praised for delivering the first in the series which isn't afraid of the dark. Second, Seresin is a winemaker with an estate vineyard that bears his name just out of Blenheim on the terraces of the Wairau River. He's not the only Kiwi with a Hollywood passport whose South Island bolthole comes with its own bottled merchandise. Further south in Otago, both director Roger Donaldson (with whom Seresin shot ground-breaking 1977 New Zealand thriller Sleeping Dogs) and Sam Neill (who starred in it) have their own vineyards. Only Seresin's operation is roughly 10 times bigger than both. He's been in the trade since 1992 and has since expanded into extra virgin olive oil. "Out of ignorance and stupidity, they've done much smarter business than me," he laughs. "They've got like 20 or 30 acre blocks and I've got 400 acres [162ha]. They make 10 times more money than I do and if anybody can afford to do it on a bigger scale it's them. "Sam came up to see Marlborough last year and spent the day with me. "He said 'Jesus, you've got all of this. How the hell do you do it?' I said, 'F... knows. I must have been drunk when I decided to'." There's a similar blokey levity when you ask Seresin, who left his job at NZ's nascent Pacific Films in 1963 to head to Europe and into an early career as a commercial director, about being recruited into Potter-world. Months before, a director mate in Los Angeles called him to recommend that he see Cuaron's Y Tu Mama Tambien. The same mate told him a few months later that Cuaron had the Potter gig, which confounded him like it did the rest of the industry. A few days later Seresin arrived at his London home to find a hand-delivered envelope from producer David Hayman asking if he'd like to see a script. He called, the script arrived "and I phoned them up three hours later and said, 'Yeah, sure'. "So Alfonso came to my house and we sat down with a glass of wine and talked. "Over the next couple of weeks Alfonso and I got to know one another a bit better and he said 'Do you want to do it?' and I said 'Yeah, I've got bugger all to do so why not? Have a bit of fun, earning Warner Brothers' money'." That bit of fun turned into a 18-month commitment - last week Seresin was in Los Angeles helping the transfer of the film to the upcoming DVD. After a career dominated by shooting mostly serious fare for British director Allan Parker, Seresin found himself facing a digital fantasyland in his most effects-heavy production yet. "I remember Alfonso and I saying to each other, 'How the f... are we going to do this?' But you just get the best people in the world basically." Even they couldn't do much about the weather during the month spent on location in the Scottish highlands. "It was incredible. "The powers that be had worked out we would go there in May because it is the one month it never rains and there are no midges. So we arrived there and it's a sunny day and the next day it pisses with rain so we go into a little set we built. But it pissed with rain for the next 28 to 29 days. "Though it was appropriate to the drama - bright, sunny weather would have been a nightmare. "Maybe we went a bit darker than a normal film of this type which we thought was appropriate and it raised a lot of comments. "But what you see in the shadows takes you a bit longer but when you do, it's often a bit more interesting than everything being bright." Weather and shadows aside, Azkaban brought with it a few other lensing problems. Like nocturnal encounters with a werewolf on a 9000 sq m soundstage involving 500 lights replicating moonlight; steadicams and lots of running. Or like the showdown in the claustrophobic environs of the Shrieking Shack. "If it was easy it would be boring. It's nice to have a challenge; that's what kept us going. In the end we did get fed up with just the sheer drudgery of it and ultimately it's a mechanical process and there is only so many times you can be turned on by stuff. "Ultimately, the best thing that came out is we did a creditable job of what in essence is a franchise now and I think it has a more cinematic feel to the previous films - which is appropriate to the story." Seresin has not signed on for his next film yet. He had to turn down Vincent Ward's River Queen because of scheduling conflicts. It would have been only the second film he's made here. But that's not something that particularly concerns him. "In some ways I would love to do one here but in other ways I am not fussed. I don't bang the big New Zealand drum. I love being a New Zealander but to be honest with you when everyone asks, 'Where's home?' I say, 'Nowhere and everywhere'. So when I come back here I love it. Go back to London, I love it; go to Italy, I love it. "I ended up [starting the vineyard] here and where I am sitting now looking at the Marlborough Sounds with the setting sun it's physically paradise. I have a lot of other problems with New Zealand: our short termism, our defensiveness and all the rest of it. But I love the place." He's still in close touch with regular boss Parker, for whom he has shot nine diverse films since 1976. But he can just see the next envelopes waiting for him in London. "Sure as s... I'll be offered a bunch of Harry Potter-type movies But I'm not looking forward to that. I'd rather pull corks out of wine."

The ISG Advanced QuadHDTV ™? Camera was designed to specifically meet the requirements for high resolution video capture as used in Digital Cinematography, Broadcast Video, Biometrics, high end security and surveillance, and Scientific Research. Whether projected onto a large cinema screen, broadcast, displayed on a high-resolution monitor, or captured for image analysis, the video output of the QuadHDTV ™? Camera exhibits a level of detail that is currently unrivaled by any existing technology. The human visual system sifts through an enormous amount of data. Computer displays are less than life-like because they don't present as much data. The challenge in providing a display that matches the resolution of the human visual system is being able to handle an enormous amount of information in real-time. Researchers from Imaging Solutions Group and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Research Center have put together a camera and display system that displays full-motion video at nearly human-visual-system resolution. The system could provide a virtual window for various military, aerospace, security and entertainment applications. The system's method of capturing and displaying data could also be adapted to improve data transmission and storage, according to the researchers. The system's camera provides a video frame rate of 30 frames per second at 8.3 million pixels, or four times the resolution of today's high-definition television systems. The system uses 24-bit color and includes an IBM 9.2-megapixel liquid crystal display. The system allows a person with 20/20 vision standing half a meter away from the screen to see a view that is arguably equivalent to looking through a window, according to the researchers. The researchers are working on finding compression schemes that will allow them to stream the video signal over networks. The camera can be used practically in six to nine months, according to the researchers. The researchers presented the work at the Society for Information Display (SID) International Symposium 2004 in Seattle, Washington, May 23 to 28. http://www.isgchips.com/Templates/t_quadhdtv.htm

Basingstoke, 8 July 2004 ? TIPA, the Technical Image Press Association, has awarded Sony?s DSR-PD170P the best professional camcorder of the year, 2004. ?The TIPA jury awarded the DSR-PD170P the best professional camcorder award for the exceptional combination of features and value-for-money, that makes it the most accessible camcorder on the market for entry-level professionals? said Juan M. Varela, Chairman of TIPA. Every year, TIPA editors vote for the best photo and imaging products introduced in Europe during the previous 12 months. TIPA editors take into account: innovation, the use of leading-edge technology, design and ergonomics of the products, their ease of use and price/performance ratio. The DSR-PD170P, launched in September 2003, built on the huge success of its predecessor, the DSR-PD150P, which had become the de facto standard for professional compact 3CCD camcorders. On the basis of customer feedback, several functions have been optimised, including improved picture and sound quality, provision of a host of ergonomic and operational improvements along with an extensive range of accessories. Like its predecessor, the DSR-PD170P stands for high picture quality and reliability in an extraordinarily compact form ? ideal for use in broadcasting and film, in companies and for events. The Sony DSR-PD170P builds on the excellent reputation established by the DSR-PD150P, bringing professional specifications and broadcast quality images and sound for the price of a good consumer camcorder. Sony was also very pleased to be awarded a further prize by TIPA, this time for the Sony digital still camera Cyber-shot T1 which was voted ?Best Digital Compact Consumer Camera in Europe?. In judging the recent awards, TIPA editors agreed that the slim and stylish Cyber-shot T1 ?has some hugely impressive features which afford the photographer unprecedented levels of control?. Both awards will be presented at the TIPA Awards Ceremony in Cologne during the Photokina Fair in September. Award Winning Features Audio/video and handling improvements Thanks to better signal processing, the minimum light level of the DSR-PD170P is now 1 lux. For optimised sound quality the signal to noise ratio for manual recording has been improved by around 6dB. The conventional benefit of two channel XLR audio inputs emphasize the professional quality of this camcorder. Usability of the camcorder has also been considerably improved with a range of new features. For example, the zoom lever and record stop/start button are placed on the handle, making it easier to control the camcorder in low angle shooting. Zoom speed can be adjusted by slider switches on the side of the handle. The new, larger handle provides a better, easier grip. The eyepiece and eyepiece cup of the viewfinder have been enlarged to make focusing more comfortable. Additionally the 211,200 pixel hybrid-LCD panel makes possible even more precise control of picture quality ? even in direct sunlight. The LCD panel and viewfinder can be used simultaneously, so the operator can focus through the viewfinder while adjusting the recording angle with the LCD panel. The iris enables faster, smoother and more precise adjustment. Additional accessories: The DSR-PD170P comes with a wide range of accessories. The previous model range has been supplemented, with, for instance, a wide angle lens (VCL-HG0758) and two new lens hoods: the LSF-S58 makes it possible to remove the wide angle lens without having to remove the lens hood itself. It can of course be used without the wide angle lens. The second lens hood replaces the hood supplied with the DSR-PD150P and contains an inbuilt lens cap, which can be opened and closed by a lever attached to the side of the hood. More new features: an i.LINK cable strap protects the cable and prevents unwanted disconnection ? e.g. from the hard disc recorder DSR-DU1, while the AC-L15 power supply replaces the AC-L10 supplied with the DSR-PD150P. Like its predecessor, the DSR-PD170P is also supplied with an ECM-NV1 monaural microphone, an NP-F330 InfoLITHIUM rechargeable battery pack, an RMT-811 remote control, a stereo-AV cable and a carrying belt.

LOS ANGELES, July 6, 2004?Donald M. Morgan, ASC will participate in a live Internet chat on the International Cinematographers Guild?s (ICG) website at www.cameraguild.com on Saturday, July 10 at 10:00 a.m. (PST). The monthly Internet chats are a popular forum sponsored by ICG for its 6,000 nation-wide members, students, journalists, other filmmakers and fans around the world. Morgan worked his way up through the ranks as an assistant and operator and subsequently became an aerial cameraman. He earned his first narrative film credit in 1973 for Santee. During the mid-1970s through the early 1980s, Morgan compiled an impressive list of television and feature film credits. After filming Star Man in 1984, Morgan focused mainly on directly and shooting commercials for seven years. He has compiled some 50 narrative film credits. Morgan has earned Outstanding Achievement Awards in the annual American Society of Cinematographers competition for Murder In Mississippi (1990), Dillinger (1991), Geronimo (1993) and The Siege at Ruby Ridge (1994). Conrad Hall, ASC and Tom Del Ruth, ASC are the only other cinematographers to claim top honors four times. Morgan also won Emmy Awards for Murder in Mississippi, Geronimo, Miss Evers Boys (1997) and Out of the Ashes, and other nominations for Elvis (1979), Doublecrossed (1991), The Siege at Ruby Ridge and For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story. A background interview and articles about Morgan are posted on www.cameraguild.com along with previous interviews and chats with Frederick Elmes, ASC Michael Goi, ASC, Robbie Greenberg, ASC, Jack Green, ASC, Dante Spinotti, ASC, AIC, Thomas Ackerman, ASC, Wally Pfister, ASC, Tom Del Ruth, ASC, John Schwartzman, ASC, Robert Primes, ASC, Owen Roizman, ASC, Russ Alsobrook, ASC, Bill Roe, ASC, Bill Butler, ASC, Jamie Anderson, ASC, Vilmos Zsgimond, ASC, Stephen Lighthill, ASC, Stephen Burum, ASC, Brian Reynolds, Rogers Deakins, ASC, BSC, Bill Fraker, ASC, BSC, John Toll, ASC, Ellen Kuras, ASC, Nancy Schreiber, ASC, Vittorio Storaro, ASC, AIC, James Chressanthis, ASC, Russ Carpenter, ASC, Steven Poster, ASC, Allen Daviau, ASC, george Spiro Dibie, ASC, Dean Cundey, ASC, John Bailey, ASC, Richard Crudo, ASC, Bill Bennett and Laszlo Kovacs, ASC. The monthly chats and library of previous interviews are easily accessible as a resource for filmmakers and aficionados. For information visit www.cameraguild.com

TORONTO, June 22, 2004 Cineric, Inc., a New York postproduction facility specializing in film restoration and preservation services, will present a research paper on the CinemaScope 55 film format at the 2004 Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA) Joint Tech Symposium. The paper traces Cineric's restoration of two classics of American cinema, Carousel and The King & I. "It's a privilege to work on a project like this," says Cineric president Balazs Nyari. "This project is a great example of Cineric's unmatched expertise and commitment to preserving film. We look at this work as part of Cineric's contribution to maintaining our shared artistic and cultural heritage." The paper, titled Bringing Life Back to an Obsolete Film Format, CinemaScope 55, was written by Cineric's Simon Lund and Dan DeVincent, whose expertise in the field of optical film restoration is unsurpassed. The paper reviews the genesis of the CinemaScope 55 format and chronicles the painstaking work by Cineric to revive the films. The challenges included the creation of specially tailored sprockets and gate mechanisms adapted to the shrinkage of the original elements, optical techniques to address dye fade and scratches, and digital techniques aided by a specially adapted Oxberry scanner. The final result was a fully timed 35mm Cinemascope 2.55:1 answer print, along with a new color protection master interpositive. DeVincent and Lund will present the paper and outline steps for working from original 55 mm camera negatives when restoring films on June 25, at 5 p.m. at the Isabel Bader Theatre (on the grounds of Victoria University.) Additionally, Schawn Belston, executive director of film preservation for 20th Century Fox, will discuss the historical significance of this restoration effort from the studio's point of view. "The satisfaction of creating a new protection master and new prints that effectively recreated this obsolete film format was definitely worth the challenge," says Lund in the paper. "The combination of engineering and mechanical expertise, an extensive appreciation for what the filmmakers intended, and the requisite background in optics, allowed these two films to be brought back to life. To the community that cares, there may not be anything that must be obsolete forever." Cineric, Inc. was founded in New York in1983. The company provides optical printing and digital imaging, titles, special effects and restoration and preservation services. The facility has worked on many independent features as well as such studio films as The Sixth Sense, Bringing Out The Dead, Goodfellas, Matewan, Philadelphia, Raging Bull, The Big Lebowski, and The Silence Of The Lambs. Cineric was the first postproduction facility in New York to establish a digital motion picture film service bureau, offering scanning, recording, video-to-film, and specialized image processing services. Blowups and format conversions are a specialty. The facility has also restored more than 200 films including Jason and the Argonauts, The Birds, American Graffiti, A Man for All Seasons, The Man from Laramie and The Caine Mutiny. Cineric also recently restored and created 35 mm archival negatives and prints for 80 of the classic films that are part of a traveling exhibit called Unseen Cinema: Early American Avant-Garde Film 1893-1941. The exhibit has been on the road since June 2001. For additional information, visit www.cineric.com or www.amianet.org.

Band Pro Film & Digital introduces Cine SpeedCam, the first native, true HD high-speed camera system. The compact system is ideal for commercials, VFX, tabletop, sports, music videos, and more. This groundbreaking system employs a prismless native 1536 x 1024 CMOS imager to deliver true widescreen HD images up to 1000 fps. Cine SpeedCam can also capture up to 10,000 fps at lower resolutions. The resulting data is rendered and provides either uncompressed TIFF or AVI formats. Output is easily imported into all popular HD editing and computer graphics systems. Cine SpeedCam is designed to integrate with existing optics, matteboxes, and other professional cinematography equipment. The compact Cine SpeedCam features a real-time electronic viewfinder for framing and focus, and it accepts a full range of PL mount 35mm optics or Nikon bayonet mount lenses. The system includes a capture station with Cine SpeedCam application software that runs under Windows 2000. The capture station allows for storage and rendering of captured images, as well as near realtime playback following capture, with preview quality video output. Power and data cables are included. The camera and capture station may be separated up to distances of 300? (91m) and controlled remotely. The modular system provides for linking up to 20 cameras. An optional power pack is available for autonomous recording of up to 8 seconds on-board memory without connection to the capture station. A variety of trigger systems are also available. Cine SpeedCam is available for sale worldwide exclusively by Band Pro Film & Digital. For more information, in the US contact: Michael Bravin cinespeed@bandpro.com, 3403 W. Pacific Avenue, Burbank, CA 91505, tel (818) 841-9655, fax (818) 841-7649, www.bandpro.com. In Europe contact: Gerhard Baier gerhard@bandpro.de Klausnerring 6, D-85551 Heimstetten, Germany, tel +49 89 94 54 84 90.

Kodak has made their Super 8 format of professional motion picture films available with the company's advanced film technology. The new KODAK VISION2 color negative family of films incorporates significant breakthroughs in motion imaging technology that have already been widely embraced by filmmakers working in 16 mm, 35 mm and 65 mm formats. "This is a noteworthy addition to the palette of creative and financial alternatives available to filmmakers who choose to work in the Super 8 format," says Robert Mayson, general manager and vice president of image capture for the Kodak Entertainment Imaging division. "The new emulsions provide a flexible range of options when a film-look is desirable and there is a need to use very lightweight and compact cameras on a tight budget." KODAK VISION2 films are designed to render high-quality images with reduced visible grain, and an improved dynamic range that makes it possible to record subtle details in highlight and shadow areas. They are also optimized for both optical and digital postproduction for making blowups to 16 mm film and various video formats. "We believe this will benefit student filmmakers around the world," says Mayson. "It will give the next generation of filmmakers an opportunity to master the aesthetics of lighting for film with an affordable and accessible medium. We also believe that this is an attractive format for certain types of documentaries destined to air on television and for special purpose narrative storytelling." Recent advances in postproduction technologies like high-resolution scanners allow filmmakers to apply the latest techniques to Super 8 images. "Super 8 has always been embraced by students and experimental filmmakers," says Mayson. "Today, for a modest investment, filmmakers can employ a sophisticated system for recording motion images, with the same emulsions used to make high end, big-budget movies. With the new VISION2 stocks, Super 8 filmmakers who seek the creative flexibility of film can put the latest high technology emulsions to work for them." Mayson notes that there is a significant infrastructure in place to support Super 8 filmmakers, including cameras for rental and sale at relatively low costs, and specialized film labs and postproduction houses. The Super 8 format was introduced in May 1965. It was designed to make more efficient use of the 8 mm film frame by reducing the size of perforations and shifting their placement. This had the affect of making the image area 50 percent larger than conventional 8 mm film. A cartridge system simplified loading. Since then, numerous technical advances have been made, including availability of wide aperture lenses and long exposure shutters. Music video and commercial producers have long used Super 8 as an addition to the stylistic palette, and narrative filmmakers often use Super 8 as a way to delineate period or flashback scenes. For example, Robert Richardson, ASC, used a Super 8 camera in parts of his Oscar®-winning effort in "JFK."

Panavision has officially entered the era of digital imaging for motion pictures. The esteemed Hollywood camera house, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, is raising the curtain on the first film-style portable digital camera. The Genesis camera will make its public debut this week in the Panavision booth at Cine Gear Expo on the Universal Studios back lot. The co-development project with Sony has been kept a closely guarded secret for four years. Known in-house as code name "NGC," or "next generation camera," the Genesis' design plans have been kept hidden behind a door in Al Mayer Jr.'s office. In building the digital motion picture camera, Panavision has taken some of the finest attributes of the Panaflex and Millennium XL cameras and adapted them for the digital world. Although today's marketplace is littered with digital video and high-definition cameras, many originally designed for consumers or broadcast news gatherers, none to date is based on a Super 35mm-sized digital imaging sensor which allows 35mm depth of field. (The Dalsa Origin sensor was originally developed for medical imaging applications and is still being field-tested.) The Genesis' CCD sensor is 12.4 mega pixels with RGB 10-bit log color output. It allows speeds up to 50 fps. The camera's 35mm sensor size is critical because most digital cameras are built on 2/3-inch chips and cinematographers are invariably hampered by depth of field and dynamic range issues. The imaging device at the heart of the Genesis allows use of all existing Panavision 35mm lenses -- from Primo primes and zooms to standard support gear. The size, weight and ergonomics of the Genesis are similar to existing Panavision 35mm cameras making it user-friendly for film crews and easy to integrate into 35mm modes of production. The system has a dockable Sony SRW-1 VTR that records to HDCAM-SR tape up to 50 minutes. The VTR travels to the top or rear of the camera simulating the look and feel of the Panaflex. This variable configuration is key for filmmakers working on tight sets; they can adapt the camera's size to make it low and long or short and high. The Genesis weighs 13.25 pounds alone -- 24.83 with the VTR onboard -- the same weight as a Millennium XL with a 400-foot load. The prototype is already outfitted with a Steadi-cam pad for hand-held shoots. "Filmmakers asked for a camera not tethered to a recording system and free from excessive cables," senior vp worldwide sales Bob Harvey says. Still, the Genesis has full bandwidth, dual link 4:4:4 HDSDI outputs and a single 4:2:2 HDSDI monitor output. It also has a Sony memory stick device from which to pull quick still images on the set. The Genesis has an electronic viewfinder but development of an optical viewfinder has not been ruled out. "We're continuing to look at it, but it presents unique technical challenges," vp product management Nolan Murdock says. As a testament to the new world of digital imaging it is of note that there were no hand-drawn designs of Panavision's new camera. Mayer designed the Genesis from the ground up on his desktop in Softimage XSI. The new camera should be ready for rental by November.

Daryn Okada, ASC put the finishing touches on the DVD, HD and standard television versions of Paparazzi here this week at LaserPacific Media Corporation. The cinematographer had previously timed the widescreen version of the feature film during digital intermediate sessions at the same facility. In both situations, Okada timed the film for continuity, while adding painterly strokes of color, contrast, light and darkness to create a sense of time and place and to visually punctuate the drama. "I believe this is the way of the future," says Okada. "You have tremendous control over nuances in the look, which affects how the audience experiences the movie. I worked with the same colorist, Frank Roman, while timing both the film and home video releases. That was important because he got inside my mind and saw the film the way I did. We timed the film version in a realistic cinema environment and the video releases in a high definition suite. That makes a big difference in perception." Paparazzi is a drama spiced with Hollywood glamour about paparazzi harassing an actor and his family. Scenes include a dramatic car chase on the streets of Los Angeles. The film was directed by Paul Abascal with the ensemble cast including Cole Hauser, Robin Tunney, Tom Sizemore and Dennis Farina. It was produced at practical locations in Los Angeles by Icon Productions with theatrical distribution slated by 20th Century Fox during the early fall of 2004. "At our first meeting, Paul (Abascal) had an image in his head, calling for a slightly hypnotic surrealistic look with very rich black tones and very saturated colors," says Okada. "I didn't think that bleach bypass or another photochemical process was the right approach because they tend to desaturate the color and give you a grittier look. Because of the Hollywood angle, we wanted a more glamorous look with enhanced contrast and saturated colors." Paparazzi marks one of the first major collaborations between the creative and technical staffs at Cinesite and LaserPacific since Kodak acquired LaserPacific in October 2003. "Paparazzi illustrates the power of Kodak's new services focus," says Leon Silverman, director of strategic business development for Kodak's Entertainment Imaging Services in addition to his executive vice president role at LaserPacific. "Our expanding depth of scanning and color timing resources gives our customers enormous advantages in creative flexibility and efficiency." Okada envisioned a digital intermediate finish from the beginning for Paparazzi, which was produced in Super 35 format in 2.4:1 aspect ratio. "A digital intermediate finish provides a big advantage in image quality when you produce movies in Super 35 format," Roman observes. "It enables you to skip an optical step at the film lab. Instead, you record the digital files in 2.4:1 aspect ratio directly onto color intermediate film used as a master for release printing. It's a much truer reflection of the intentions of the filmmakers." Okada says he recommended LaserPacific as the digital intermediate facility for timing Paparazzi because of both the advanced technology and the environment that it provides for timing cinema and television releases. "The theater where we timed the film at LaserPacific looks and feels like a cinema," Okada explains. "I was looking at the film the way the audience will see it on a big screen. The theater is set up with the latest Texas Instruments 2K projector." Okada cites his close working relationship with LaserPacific Engineering Vice President Doug Jaqua as key to the success of his experience. "Doug was amazing in his ability to transfer the nuances of the images displayed on a 33 foot digital screen directly to film. He and LaserPacific have created a workflow that yields incredible contrast and dynamic range through the digital intermediate process." Roman notes that digital timing is an interactive process. "Daryn would look at the images as we projected them on the screen and say, 'Do you see that highlight on the back of that head? Let's tone that down a bit because we don't want the audience drawn to that part of the screen.' I would tone it down a bit. He would see the results immediately on the screen, and either agree or ask me to tone it down less or more. We paid a lot of attention to making the sky brighter or darker, and also enhancing colors, black tones and highlights to get the organic look they wanted." Paparazzi was produced during an ambitious 38-day shooting schedule. Okada notes that many exterior scenes had to be timed for seamless continuity because they included elements of shots filmed at different times of day or from various angles to accommodate the schedule. They also had to integrate dissolves and other digital opticals while he was working with Roman to put the final touches on the look. Efficiency was also a factor. Okada explains that he had to assure the studio and producers they could time Paparazzi in a digital suite on approximately the same schedule required for a traditional optical finish. Okada says it took six to seven days to time the film with Roman. LaserPacific recorded the timed digital files onto Eastman ESTAR intermediate film. While some of the releases will be a result of the traditional interpostive/internegative route, Okada championed the idea of an ESTAR element. Icon will use this component to create a number of direct "show prints" with first-generation quality, after the normal protection intermediates are struck. "The power of these new tools and this process allows for enormous flexibility," Okada says. "That's why it is important for this to be done with a single set of eyes by the original cinematographer. I believe this is a natural extension of our role."

CANNES, June 7, 2004?Internationally renowned agency creatives and filmmakers will talk about breaking the rules for aesthetic affect during a panel at Cannes Lions, the International Advertising Festival. Panelists include director-cinematographer Lance Acord (Adidas, Nike, Mitsubishi), cinematographer Zubin Mistry (Saab, Sony Ericcson, Reebok), North American creative director of TBWA/Chiat/Day Chuck McBride (Got Milk?®, Lexus, Subaru, Levi?s, Sega), and executive producer and partner of GO FILM Gary Rose (Coke, Mercedes, Nissan, BMW, Budweiser). The discussion, which is sponsored by Kodak and SHOOT magazine, is set for June 24 from 3 to 4 p.m., at the Hotel Majestic (Salon Rayon). SHOOT Publisher Roberta Griefer is moderating. The panelists will show and discuss clips from recent ground-breaking campaigns (Adidas-?Impossible is Nothing?), focusing on technical and aesthetic decisions made during concept preparation, production and post. The conversation will include innovative uses of film technology as a tool for story telling. ?They have to grab the audience?s attention with the first frame of film, and tell a compelling story that makes a memorable impression in 30 seconds,? says Thierry Perronnet, marketing director for Kodak in Europe, Africa and the Middle East regions. ?It takes painstaking preparation, split-second decision making, mastery of the tools, and imagination. These panelists have some great rule-breaking anecdotes from which everyone can learn.? ?It's particularly rewarding for SHOOT to be part of this significant, topical panel with Kodak during the Cannes Lions Festival, building upon our years of news coverage of the event,? adds Griefer.

Century Optics has a simple solution for correct viewing when shooting with Panasonic's DVX100/A 16:9 optical anamorphic attachment or the squeeze feature in the DVX100A cameras. The new Widescreen Eyepiece provides viewing of a 'normal' (unsqueezed) image while shooting 16:9 squeezed footage. There is no camera modification needed. The professional Century unit slips onto the camera's existing finder and fastens securely with a single lock screw. In addition to this Widescreen Eyepiece, Century offers a full line of lens accessories for the Panasonic AG-DVX100/100A cameras including: .7X Wide Angle Converter, .6X Wide Angle Adapter, Fisheyes, 1.6X Tele-Converter, and Achromatic Diopters. The Widescreen Eyepiece, stock number VS-WSEP-DVX, is priced at $395. For more information on Century professional lens add-ons, contact: Schneider Optics Century Division, 7701 Haskell Avenue, Van Nuys, CA 91406, tel (818)766-3715; fax (818)505-9865; http://www.centuryoptics.com/

NAB 2004--Band Pro Film & Digital Inc. has entered into an unprecedented marketing agreement with Sony Electronics Inc. As per the arrangement, Band Pro will market a customized ?Powered By Band Pro? HDW-F900 HDCAM? high definition camcorder through their offices and affiliates. The ?Powered by Band Pro? HDW-F900 HDCAM High Definition Camcorder will be offered in multiple configurations to include many of the physical features requested by the market. The standard model ?Powered By Band Pro? CineAlta? will feature a rugged new handle design that incorporates low mount capability, reinforced viewfinder hardware and a convenient mattebox mount. Additional advantages will be available as the line expands. Now celebrating its twentieth anniversary, Band Pro has long been one of the leading proponents of high definition technology. As a Sony representative, Band Pro has sold more CineAlta cameras than any company outside of Sony. Specializing in offering their clients the entire production equipment package, Band Pro offers the most extensive array of products for High Definition available. They were instrumental in the development and are responsible for the worldwide distribution of Carl Zeiss DigiPrime® and DigiZoom? lenses. With this new agreement, Band Pro welcomes the ability to support the expanding world of High Definition cinematography. They will provide sales and support from offices in Burbank, Europe, and the Middle East, with additional affiliates in the expanding HD world. The new ?Powered by Band Pro? cameras will include the standard Worldwide Sony Factory Warranty as well as Band Pro?s extraordinary technical support services.

Master Steadicam Operator Peter Abraham, in conjunction with the Tiffen Company and Steadicam Inventor Garrett Brown, has announced a new workshop program that allows educational organizations to invite Tiffen-subsidized Steadicam workshops directly to their schools. The $375 per student workshops are aimed at film students of all interests, and are designed to increase their understanding of current technology and assist them in creative choices during production. The 2-day workshops can accommodate between six and 12 students, and are configured to use practical locations on the host's campus. Mr. Abraham will supply two or more lightweight Steadicam systems as required with accessories, along with instruction manuals, Steadicam t-shirts and Certificates of Completion for each student. Schools must provide a few lightweight MiniDV camcorders, and a space for the workshop. For further details and to book the official On-Campus Steadicam Workshop for your students, or to inquire about Tiffen's Educational Discount Schedule for Steadicam equipment purchases, contact Peter Abraham at: magiccarpetfilms@hotmail.com or at (917 453-1219).

Band Pro announces the worldwide premiere of the Carl Zeiss DigiZoom™ 6-24mm T1.9 lens. The ZEISS DigiZoom™ is the company's first precision zoom lens developed especially to enhance the potential of cutting-edge high definition cinematography cameras. The new B4 mount lens makes use of many design innovations Carl Zeiss incorporated in the successful DigiPrime® family. For ease of use and optimal compatibility with cine lens accessories, the ZEISS DigiZoom offers industry standard-pitch zoom, focus and iris gears and brightly-marked oversized windowed cine scales, readable from either side of the lens. Individually calibrated focus scales ensure pinpoint accuracy. Like DigiPrime lenses, the zoom features a 95mm front diameter. This 4X zoom employs the Carl Zeiss back-focus mechanism for accurately maintained calibration across the focusing range. The Zeiss Internal Focusing Design produces top performance -- center to corner -- over the entire focus and zoom range. It also facilitates a consistent center of gravity, minimum balance shift, and no breathing. The ZEISS DigiZoom focuses to just 22? from the image plane -- 11? from the front of the lens. Additionally, the optic offers the unique ability to focus tightly on objects as small as 66mm x 117mm. Thus, even items as tiny as a business card can fill the frame in precise focus. The new zoom offers numerous advantages for film-style production. As with DigiPrime lenses, the ZEISS DigiZoom has been engineered for optimum performance in low light situations with the aperture fully open. The Carl Zeiss design provides unsurpassed contrast control by minimizing flare, veiling glare, and internal reflections -- well below other zoom lenses. It also offers superior relative illumination and high resolution over the entire screen edge-to-edge, throughout the zoom range. Users will appreciate that the new lens does not ramp. For exceptional color characteristics, Carl Zeiss carefully selects superior quality optical glass, and then applies proprietary coatings. Zeiss engineers have designed the 4X zoom to accurately color match and seamlessly intercut images made with the DigiPrime® family. The ZEISS DigiZoom 6-24mm T1.9 is manufactured at the Carl Zeiss Optics factory in Oberkochen, Germany and marketed worldwide exclusively by Band Pro Film & Digital. For more information, contact Michael Bravin at Band Pro Film & Digital: 3403 West Pacific Avenue, Burbank, CA 91505, Phone: 818/841-9655, Fax: 818/841-7649, digizoom@bandpro.com, www.bandpro.com.

LOS ANGELES, April 1, 2004 -The International Cinematographers Guild (ICG) has announced 11 winners in its Eighth Annual Film Showcase competition. The winning entries were photographed by Harry Box for Ask Curtis, Michael Chambliss for F-Stops, Ken Glassing for A Life for a Life, Anette Haellmigk for A Single Rose, Rob Kositchek for Inconvenience Store, Rachael Levine for Home, Darin Moran for Ola's Box of Clovers, Vasco Lucas Nunes for Recycle, Michael Pescasio for Mrs. Marshall, Christopher Probst for Descent, and Mark Schwartzbard for Psychoanalysis Changed My Life. The Showcase will premiere Sunday, April 25, at 3 p.m. at the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Theater. "This Showcase is a preview of the future of the art of filmmaking," says National Guild President George Spiro Dibie, ASC. "It demonstrates a deep reservoir of talent in our Guild, which bodes well for the future. The films selected by our judges are all works of art where the cinematographers played important roles in creating entertaining and interesting stories." The competition is open to all ICG members who are still photographers, camera loaders, assistants and operators. Entries must be 30 minutes or less. More than 70 entries were evaluated on how artfully the scripts and performances were translated into images that serve the stories. The idea for the annual competition was conceived and developed in 1997 by Kositchek, a camera operator and Guild member. His goal was to provide his colleagues in the Guild who are aspiring cinematographers with an opportunity to showcase their talent and skill. Dibie explains that many people who join the Guild as camera loaders, assistants and operators see those roles as steps on their path to the future. He says that many of them shoot short films as a way to sharpen their skills, hone their creative instincts, and to form collaborative relationships with writers, directors and other aspiring moviemakers. "Rob deserves a lot of credit for developing the idea for this competition," says Dibie. "Over the years, he has played an important role in organizing and managing this important event." Judging is done by Guild cinematographers, assistants and operators who evaluate the effectiveness of the contributions made by the directors of photography. "They are judging both the artistry of the cinematographers and the skill with which they execute the visual grammar that supports the intentions of the filmmakers," he says. "It generally takes a cinematographer to make these judgments, because artful camerawork is usually designed to be non-obtrusive and transparent to the audience." Dibie describes the competition as fierce. He says there were many extraordinarily artful entries, which made it difficult for the judges to pare the list down to 11 finalists. "While we congratulate the 11 finalists, we are also urging those members whose films didn't make it into the 2004 Showcase to try again next year," he says. "It was a very close call in many cases. You have to persevere in order to succeed in the long-run." The April 25 premiere at the DGA will be followed by a reception (no RSVP necessary). Additional screenings are slated for the Cannes International Film Festival, and many other cities around the country. The ICG Film Showcase is one of many initiatives sponsored by the Guild for the purpose of helping its 6,000 members gain recognition and advance in their careers. Kodak has sponsored the Showcase screenings since their inception.

ZGC will provide the North American production community with its first look at the new P+S Technik Oszi 400 Series Mini35 Digital Image Converter at NAB 2004. Oszi allows attachment of 35mm film lens to the Panasonic AG-DVX100E / AG-DVX100A, the new Sony PD170 and other mini DV cameras. Oszi is available for live demos at the ZGC, Panasonic and Canon booths. The Mini35 has just been used to shoot its first North American episodic television series and also by top DPs and filmmakers. ZGC will also unveil the new Cooke Optics Limited S4/i Electronic Lens System, which provides cinematographers and camera operators with vital ?real time? information on lens setting, focusing distance, aperture and depth-of-field. The system is designed for use with any PL mount camera body and with LDS equipped cameras. Also available at NAB 2004 from ZGC (and P+S Technik) will be live demos of the P+S Technik PRO35 Digital Image Converter, which allows attachment of any 35mm film lens to any 2/3? format HD or standard video camera. The PRO35 can now be used with Panavision and Nikon lenses. The PRO35 has been used by such legendary filmmakers as Sidney Lumet. ZGC will also offer live demos of the Cooke S4 HD 8-46mm T1-7 Zoom Lens, which incorporates the Academy Award winning design excellence and practicality of Cooke?s 35mm S4 Prime lenses and has been specifically designed to meet the needs of the traditional cinematographer now shooting in 2/3? format HD video. From OpTex International, ZGC will present live demos of the OpTex Excellence Periscope / Probe System (recently used with great results on a Lego commercial). Another OpTex product line offered by ZGC at NAB 2004 is possibly every DP?s ?dream come true? ? the OpTex Optical Extension Viewfinders for Sony and Panasonic HDTV cameras.

LOS ANGELES, March 30-Laszlo Kovacs, ASC has been named Kodak Cinematographer in Residence at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Theater, Film and Television. The annual residency program was conceived by UCLA Professor William McDonald and is sponsored by the Kodak Student Filmmaker Program. Kovacs will conduct a series of workshops for students focusing on the aesthetic role that cinematographers play in the collaborative process of filmmaking. " This is a tremendous opportunity for our students to gain insights into the heart and soul of a unique human being who has made an incomparable impact on the art of filmmaking, " says McDonald. " Laszlo Kovacs is one of the defining artists of contemporary times. He blazed many new trails, and also proved that even impossible dreams can come true if you have talent and determination. " UCLA will begin the mentorship program with a public screening of New York, New York, a classic 1977 love story that marked an extraordinary collaboration between Kovacs and director Martin Scorsese. The story is set during the mid-1940s. It features Robert DeNiro as a smooth-talking musician, and Liza Minnelli as a lounge singer. " Marty envisioned a homage to the classic MGM musicals with elements of contemporary drama, " Kovacs recalls. " He wanted a rich Technicolor look like the MGM classics, but that technology was no longer available, so we had to improvise. " New York, New York will be screened at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, April 19 at the James Bridges Theater on the UCLA Westwood campus. Kovacs will recount his memories of making the film and answer questions after the screening. The theater is located on the northeast corner of the campus. Admission is free and open to the public with parking available in Structure 3 for a $7 fee. More information is available by calling the Bridges box office at (310) 206-8365. Kovacs was born and raised in a small farming village some 60 miles from Budapest, Hungary, where his parents were farmers. In 1952, Kovacs enrolled in the Academy of Drama and Film in Budapest. " My teacher and mentor George Illes was a great cinematographer, " Kovacs recalls. " He encouraged me to study all of the arts, including music, painting and literature, as well as still and motion pictures picture photography. He also opened a window on the outside world by showing us Citizen Kane and other films from the West. " During a spontaneous uprising against the communist regime in Budapest in 1956, Kovacs and fellow student Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC, documented the conflict on 35 mm black-and-white film with a borrowed camera. After the Russian army crushed the revolt, Kovacs and Zsigmond made a perilous journey through the woods to the Austrian border, carrying some 30,000 feet of their documentary film. Kovacs and Zsigmond migrated to the United States as political refugees, dreaming about careers in Hollywood. During the early 1960s, Kovacs worked for an insurance company at night making prints from microfilm. During daylight hours and weekends, Kovacs filmed 16 mm industrial, medical and educational movies. In 1963, Kovacs shot a black-and-white Western on a $12,000 budget during weekends. That led to opportunities to film a series of low budget biker movies, including A Man Called Dagger and Hells Angels on Wheels, which played on drive-in theater screens. In 1968, his films caught the attention of Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda. Their subsequent collaboration on Easy Rider sparked a revolution in the art of filmmaking. Kovacs has subsequently compiled more than 60 narrative credits, including such memorable films as Five Easy Pieces, The King of Marvin Gardens, What ' s Up Doc?, Shampoo, A Reflection of Fear , and such contemporary favorites as Ghostbusters, Mask, Say Anything, Copycat, My Best Friend ' s Wedding, Miss Congeniality and Two Weeks Notice. He has been feted with Lifetime Achievement Awards at the Hawaii International Film Festival (1998), the Camerimage International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography (1998) and the Hollywood Film Festival (2002). In 2001, his colleagues in the American Society of Cinematographers also presented him with that organization ' s coveted lifetime achievement award. " I am looking forward to working with the students and faculty at UCLA, " he says. " I think all of us who have been lucky enough to succeed in this industry have an obligation to help mentor the next generation of filmmakers. This is one way of paying my debt to my mentor, George Illes. " The Kodak Student Filmmaker Program provides significant support for film schools, including scholarships, film grants and discounts, mentoring programs and educational materials. Kodak has sponsored the cinematographer in residence program at UCLA since 2000. The previous Kodak Cinematographers in Residence were Dean Cundey, ASC, Allen Daviau, ASC, Conrad Hall, ASC and Owen Roizman, ASC. " Laszlo Kovacs is an innovative artist and a generous human being, " says John Mason, director of the Kodak Student Filmmaker Program. " I have no doubt that someday these future filmmakers will look back and realize these workshops were a turning point in their careers - where they gained valuable insights into the collaborative process that makes this art form unique. They are going to learn how the subtle nuances in the way artists like Laszlo Kovacs compose and expose images on film can make all the difference in the world. "

New designer materials could eventually lead to "perfect lenses" for optical devices, able to focus on features smaller than the wavelength of light. These "metamaterials" are composites that can tap into a range of magnetism scientists cannot harness using known naturally occurring materials. The new composites are constructed using nanotechnology to build tiny circuits on a plate made of quartz. Details of the work are outlined in the latest issue of the journal Science. The newest metamaterials respond in the terahertz frequency range which lies between infrared rays and microwave rays and can be made from elements, such as copper, or compounds which are not in themselves magnetic. The march of magnetism towards the visible will enhance our power to control and use electromagnetic radiation Prof John Pendry, Imperial College Electromagnetic radiation has an electrical and a magnetic component. But conventional optical lenses used in cameras, telescopes and microscopes respond to just one of the two possible fields - the electrical. This is because almost all materials are magnetically inert at optical frequencies. "It's a bit like riding a bike with one hand," Professor John Pendry of Imperial College, London, UK, told BBC News Online. 'Holy grail' Harnessing the electrical and magnetic components at optical frequencies could therefore lead to perfect lenses with vastly better resolutions than conventional optical types. These lenses could focus on features smaller than the wavelength of light and would be limited only by the materials they are constructed from. "The march of magnetism towards the visible will enhance our power to control and use electromagnetic radiation in these frequency ranges," Professor Pendry explained. But scientists concede that pushing these new metamaterials into these frequency ranges is still some way off, if it is in fact achievable. Scientists say there are no magnetic materials at terahertz frequencies Some experts in the field seriously question whether it is possible to develop materials capable of perfect lensing at optical frequencies. "Theoretically if you construct the elements we've made at terahertz frequencies, make them even smaller and then scale them up to optical frequencies, you could have perfect lensing at those frequencies," said co-author Dr Willie Padilla of the University of California, San Diego. "But there are theoretical limits to how these things work because you're scaling them smaller and smaller. "Once you get to the point where this material is just a few atoms thick, it's not even clear how that material is going to behave." The new materials are based on a design known as the "split ring" structure. This split ring makes a circuit which can be tuned to achieve the desired magnetic response. More immediately, the terahertz technology will open up a range of new applications. Scanners in this frequency range are thought to have great potential. Up until now their uses have been limited because of the lack of inexpensive methods to generate and detect terahertz rays. "Images taken using terahertz rays have good contrast between similar density objects," explained co-author Willie Padilla. "So when building aircraft, terahertz scanners could be used to image aircraft components, even if the components were of similar densities. "Also, terahertz is useful for medical imaging and has the advantage that it is much less damaging than X-rays, because it consists of non-ionizing radiation." The composites are also likely to see applications in enhancing the storage capacity of CDs and DVDs and in increasing the number of circuits that can fit on computer chips.