Woody Allen's 2016 Film

[Adam Frisch FSF]

Just used it on a commercial. Damn thing is huge. And as usual for Sony, menu system is not user friendly. But seems to take good images.

[Alexandros Angelopoulos Apostolos]

The colourist will be Anthony Raffaele:

 

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1823588/

 

Anthony also handled the dailies.

 

He previously worked on Allen's Blue Jasmine as a dailes colourist for Deluxe.

Edited January 11, 2016 by Alexandros Angelopoulos Apostolos

[Alexandros Angelopoulos Apostolos]

It's really funny to see a simple, unassuming comedy being a sort of a pioneer in this, using almost the latest technology available in the field of digital filmmaking. But then again, it's not the first time Woody Allen broke new ground in cinematography, or, perhaps better, jumped onto a bandwagon earlier than some others, and I presume that the same is true for Vittorio Storaro.

 

By the way, this latest RED camera, the WEAPON DRAGON (I hate their use of capitals), is even better than either Sony or ALEXA (another capitals freak)? Again a completely unexpected film, Guardians of the Galaxy 2, will be the first to use it, it seems.

Edited January 16, 2016 by Alexandros Angelopoulos Apostolos

[David Mullen ASC]

They will be using the 8K version of the Weapon, the one with a Full-Frame 35mm (VistaVision) sensor.

 

The bigger Marvel films have been experimenting with these larger format digital cameras, such as the Alexa 65 and now the 8K Weapon. Helps them when they go to make their IMAX version.

[Alexandros Angelopoulos Apostolos]

Given everything that Tyler Purcell said, and some of the things he said I thought about, too (like, for example, what will happen to films shot digitally in 2K when the broadcasting standard gets to be 32K or something of that sort), I'm kind of becoming a little bit wary of not using film. :ph34r:

 

So since the WEAPON DRAGON sensor is 40.96 mm × 21.6 mm, ALEXA 65 is 54.12 mm × 25.58 mm, and Sony's is 24.7 mm × 13.1 mm, perhaps it's

 

1. ALEXA 65

2. RED WEAPON DRAGON

3. Sony F65 CineAlta

 

if one can be reductive like that?

 

It seems akin to comparing full-frame DSLRs and medium-format cameras, although here, it seems like sensor sizes vary quite a bit.

Edited January 16, 2016 by Alexandros Angelopoulos Apostolos

[cole t parzenn]

Haven't all of the Marvel movies been 2K DIs? I'm skeptical that they'll do an 8K DI and filmout, given all the CGI.

[David Mullen ASC]

Marvel seems to be upping their game lately for IMAX releases, which likely means more than a 2K post for some of their bigger movies. Sure, so far it has all been an Alexa / 2K finish pipeline.

[David Mullen ASC]

Given everything that Tyler Purcell said, and some of the things he said I thought about, too (like, for example, what will happen to films shot digitally in 2K when the broadcasting standard gets to be 32K or something of that sort), I'm kind of becoming a little bit wary of not using film. :ph34r:

 

So since the WEAPON DRAGON sensor is 40.96 mm × 21.6 mm, ALEXA 65 is 54.12 mm × 25.58 mm, and Sony's is 24.7 mm × 13.1 mm, perhaps it's

 

1. ALEXA 65

2. RED WEAPON DRAGON

3. Sony F65 CineAlta

 

if one can be reductive like that?

 

It seems akin to comparing full-frame DSLRs and medium-format cameras, although here, it seems like sensor sizes vary quite a bit.

 

It's more complicated than that (and there is a 6K Super-35 Red Weapon Dragon and the upcoming 8K VistaVision version, so you need to make a distinction there.) The Alexa 65 is 6.5K but records uncompressed raw, the 8K Weapon records 8K but with different compression levels (some low).

 

The Sony F65 is a Super-35 6K sensor, practically-speaking (they call it an 8K sensor because it is rotated 45 degrees, giving you 8K across but in terms of total pixels, it is more like a 6K sensor.)

[Alexandros Angelopoulos Apostolos]

Yep. :)

 

I said it was reductive.

 

I saw that there were two Dragons, but thought that maybe the size of the sensor listed for this one would be enough to know which one I am talking about.

[Freya Black]

It's really funny to see a simple, unassuming comedy being a sort of a pioneer in this, using almost the latest technology available in the field of digital filmmaking.

 

 

 

Not really the latest tech, in fact I think Sony have now discontinued it?

The world of digital cameras is incredibly fast moving tho.

 

Freya

[Alexandros Angelopoulos Apostolos]

Do they have a better one? :)

[Robin R Probyn]

There is only a rumor that the F65 will be replaced with an 8K ? camera .. which would be much smaller than the quite big F65.. and a more F55 type work flow.. F65 is 6K sensor as they have crammed more in by placing pixels diagonally .. basically to over sample to get a true 4K after debayering takes its toll.. although the less than 3K Alexa has seemed to totally taken over all high end digital production..

[Alexandros Angelopoulos Apostolos]

So perhaps it is the latest tech, at least from Sony, if there is nothing newer? :)

 

I'm surprised that you say that the world of digital cameras is fast-moving. Is it? I guess I look too much to the world of digital still cameras, where not a small amount of time passes from one Phase One camera to the next. But then again not too huge an amount either.

[Freya Black]

So perhaps it is the latest tech, at least from Sony, if there is nothing newer? :)

 

I'm surprised that you say that the world of digital cameras is fast-moving. Is it? I guess I look too much to the world of digital still cameras, where not a small amount of time passes from one Phase One camera to the next. But then again not too huge an amount either.

Well the F5 and F55 are newer but there isn't a replacement for the F65 yet but it is already EOL.

 

The world of digital cameras is very fast moving but maybe not in the way you mean.

it's not like there are quantum leaps in technology but for example, when a fully 8K replacement for the F65 comes out (assuming that's on the cards) then the F65 will be completely over. So there are constantly incremental new models that arrive to replace existing ones. The older cameras still work just fine of course but people tend to want the latest and greatest.

 

Freya

[Alexandros Angelopoulos Apostolos]

Well the F5 and F55 are newer but there isn't a replacement for the F65 yet but it is already EOL.

 

The world of digital cameras is very fast moving but maybe not in the way you mean.

it's not like there are quantum leaps in technology but for example, when a fully 8K replacement for the F65 comes out (assuming that's on the cards) then the F65 will be completely over. So there are constantly incremental new models that arrive to replace existing ones. The older cameras still work just fine of course but people tend to want the latest and greatest.

 

Freya

 

Then I'd say I'm right. :) If it's the best in its own class, from the same manufacturer, if the manufacturer doesn't have a replacement, then I'd say it's the best. It might not be if you bring in Arri or Red. But it's still up there in the top 5, even with them included, if I understand correctly.

 

I know when it will be over. But I think here we agree that it's not completely over, even though you might have implied that in the first place, and we ended up here.

 

I just don't see it as 'constantly incremental new models'. For example, how long did it take Arri to release the Alexa 65 after the model that preceded it? How long did it take Sony to release the F65 after the model that came before it? Are those superfast new releases, so much so that it's difficult to keep track? I don't think so.

[Alexandros Angelopoulos Apostolos]

And when I said "newer", I meant newer in the same class, a camera of the same sensor size, which would replace it.

Edited January 18, 2016 by Alexandros Angelopoulos Apostolos

[Freya Black]

 

Then I'd say I'm right. :) If it's the best in its own class, from the same manufacturer, if the manufacturer doesn't have a replacement, then I'd say it's the best. It might not be if you bring in Arri or Red. But it's still up there in the top 5, even with them included, if I understand correctly.

 

I know when it will be over. But I think here we agree that it's not completely over, even though you might have implied that in the first place, and we ended up here.

 

I just don't see it as 'constantly incremental new models'. For example, how long did it take Arri to release the Alexa 65 after the model that preceded it? How long did it take Sony to release the F65 after the model that came before it? Are those superfast new releases, so much so that it's difficult to keep track? I don't think so.

 

 

Definitely! The F65 is still the flagship model right now even tho it is EOL. I also agree that it's not always constantly incrementally improved new models as I feel the F35 (previous flagship) produced much nicer images than anything I have seen from the F65 so far. So in some ways it's not an incremental improvement although the F35 was a 1080p based camera.

 

Yes it's not too fast to keep track for sure. We are discussing the state of it right now so we are keeping track!

It's just quite a fast moving industry and there is a new exciting camera every year, from some manufacturer. which is a good thing too of course.

 

Also I agree it is definitely not over for the F65 yet. Not until the new camera arrives. In fact we still have yet to see the new Woody Allen movie which should be really interesting and is shot on the F65 so it will still be on everyones radar for a while yet and maybe that's what counts.

 

Freya

[Alexandros Angelopoulos Apostolos]

Interview with Vittorio Storaro in CineAlta Magazine:

 

https://issuu.com/sonyprofessional/docs/cinealta_issue_7_issuu_r1

[Alexandros Angelopoulos Apostolos]

I’ve asked the moderator to change the title of the thread, since we now know that the film will be called Café Society, by all accounts. Most likely, it will be shown this year in Cannes. We’ll find out on 14 April.

 

Ever since I read that post of David’s that went on something like “If someone is this talented, he can blabber all he wants for as long as he wants to”, I keep thinking about it. I don’t think he blabbers in this interview; he did a bit in that other recent one that we mentioned up there in one of the previous posts or in some other thread, I think. Yet what that comment transmitted to me was not about that, but about just how inspiring Storaro is, among other things, even if you might not like his style or are not a fan. He talks about art, philosophy, painting, photography, architecture, he seems so willing share knowledge and experiences, he seems so devoid of vanity and so kind, and you just cannot not be sucked into this whirlwind of awe or some similar feeling. He makes me dream.

 

He mentioned Il cenacolo / Last Supper again. I wonder why he rounded the aspect ratio of that painting, which is around 1.91 : 1, given that the painting is, per Wikipedia, 460 cm × 880 cm (181 in × 346 in), to 2 : 1, and not 1.9 :1. I asked about this aspect ratio before, but for those who know his theory well, could you tell me are there subject matters that he believes this kind of ratio is well-made for, or does he think it’s best for everything: comedies, dramas, epics...?

 

By the way, does anybody recognize that space in the photo where he’s wearing that red-and-white-stripes shirt? He really does look so impeccable and gentlemanly, which only contributes to this impression he gives off. It’s as if he’s dressed for an evening stroll on the Riviera or or as a master of a grand estate for an afternoon on the veranda or something. Certainly a change from baseball caps and sweatshirts.

Edited March 21, 2016 by Alexandros Angelopoulos Apostolos

[Alexandros Angelopoulos Apostolos]

Here’s a little backstage footage:

 

 

Two Kino Flo Celeb 200s and a diffusion panel, if I got that right. What might be the purpose? Some sort of diffused backlight?

[Satsuki Murashige]

The Celebs appear to be a soft sidey key light on Jesse Eisenberg, enhancing and giving some direction to the natural ambient light. They look to be shooting his close-up. The overhead diffusion frame is cutting the direct sunlight off the actors, you can still see some direct sun hitting the frame in one of the wide BTS shots. Looks like they may have lost that direct sunlight by the time they got to his close-up.

[Alexandros Angelopoulos Apostolos]

Thank you, Satsuki! :D I think Woody said exactly that: by the time all the tourists have passed or something like that, time flew by and they lost the light. Something like that. I’ve read so much in the last few days that I don’t know if he was referring to this particular film, or was it about another shoot from the past, but in any case, something of sorts happened.

 

Since my ignorance is huge, I did wonder why they chose two lights instead of, say, one Celeb 400?

 

With Manhattan’s skyscrapers and tall buildings, the Sun goes away quickly in Central Park. With new towers being erected as we speak, I can only imagine it will get worse.

 

By the way, do you know what sort of a camera that is that the woman with the sunglasses on her head is using around 00.56? It looks awfully huge. :blink:

[Oron Cohen]

He really does look so impeccable and gentlemanly, which only contributes to this impression he gives off. It’s as if he’s dressed for an evening stroll on the Riviera or or as a master of a grand estate for an afternoon on the veranda or something. Certainly a change from baseball caps and sweatshirts.

 

Storaro is known for being elegant dresser, I still remember the behind the scenes of Apocalypse Now and how well dressed he was in the middle of the jungle :) he got Italian class.

Edited March 29, 2016 by Oron Cohen

[Satsuki Murashige]

I did wonder why they chose two lights instead of, say, one Celeb 400?

> Since one is stacked on top of the other one, it seems they wanted to make the light taller so it covered the actors more evenly from head to chest. Celeb 200 is 24x14" and Celeb 400 is 45x14" so 2x Celeb 200s stacked vertically would be 24x28" or roughly square.

 

With Manhattan’s skyscrapers and tall buildings, the Sun goes away quickly in Central Park. With new towers being erected as we speak, I can only imagine it will get worse.

> Depends on where you are in Central Park. As I recall, most of the bridges are in the middle of the park and are often shaded by trees. Though I've never been there in the winter or spring, just fall and summer. I'm sure the path of the sun is quite different depending on the season.

 

By the way, do you know what sort of a camera that is that the woman with the sunglasses on her head is using around 00.56? It looks awfully huge.

> It's probably just a 5D Mark3 with a battery grip. The large box around the camera is a sound-proof housing so the shutter doesn't make any noise on set. That way, the photographer can still shoot during a take. It's pretty standard for on set photography.

[Alexandros Angelopoulos Apostolos]

Café Society will open the Cannes Film Festival:

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-35917201

 

The Festival’s Facebook page makes it seem as if the photo of Woody and Vittorio is one of the official ones:

 

http://www.woodyallenpages.com/2016/03/woody-allens-cafe-society-to-open-69th-cannes-film-festival/

 

As The Woody Allen Pages say: “Who’s up for a trip to France?” :D

Edited March 29, 2016 by Alexandros Angelopoulos Apostolos