Shooting Dexter with the Sony F23 - HighDef

AmbitiousEndeavor for GM Campaignby Bob Fisher(L – R) Director Tim Damonand cinematographerBill Bennett, ASC withgaffer Dennis Wehr (back)contemplate a shot for theirGM running footage project.William (Bill) Bennett, ASC recentlycompleted shooting his “mostambitious endeavor” for directorTim Damon of Damon Live Action. Bennetthas earned more than 1,000 cinematographycredits for shooting television commercials incollaboration with a who’s who list of directorsat locations around the world.Bennett and co-cinematographer GregBaldi shot 100,000 feet of running footageof General Motors cars and trucks that isbeing used to create national, regional andlocal commercial campaigns introducing 54Chevrolet (Buick), Saturn (Pontiac) and BPG(GMC) vehicles in both HD and standard televisionformats, and also for video displays atdealerships and DVDs.The package was produced by DamonLive Action, and marked Bennett’s eighthproject for Damon during the past year anda half. Caroline von Weyher was executiveproducer, with Nancy Fulton fulfilling line producingduties, and Scott Luhrsen as 1st AD.The Damon Live Action team spent monthsplanning the effort, and collaborated closelywith creative directors from ad agencies,including Campbell-Ewald, Deutsch, Inc. andLeo Burnett.“Television commercials are about lifestyles,”Bennett observes. “You have just 30seconds to connect with individual viewerson an emotional level. We want them to feelwhat it’s like to drive these vehicles in beautifulenvironments.”The running footage was produced atlocations in and around Salt Lake City, Utah,and Denver, Colorado. These locations werechosen by Damon because they providedan array of attractive backgrounds, includinghigh-density residential and retail neighborhoodsin urban settings, and country roadssurrounded by trees, farms and lush greenPhoto by Ambar Capoorgrass. The agencies also wanted deep blue,sunlit skies. Production was scheduled duringmid-mornings and late afternoons whenthe sun was low in the sky, yet still above thehorizon.“It was obvious that we needed the latitudeand nuanced palette of colors, contrastand textures that film provides,” Bennett says.“We captured the footage mainly on a 250-speed (KODAK VISION2 5205) four-perf film,which enabled us to use longer and slowerlenses when they were needed. We also shotsome scenes at higher frame rates for slowmotioneffects. The images were composed in4:3 aspect ratio while protecting for 16:9.”Choreographing the shoot was like producinga complex ballet. There were some120 people involved, including teamsters whoused 14 tractor-trailers to haul and deliver thepicture vehicles to the right places at the righttimes. Four camera crews were working simultaneously.Damon created “shopping lists” ofthe desired interior and exterior shots, includinginstructions for close-up, medium andlong shots, camera angles and movement.The shopping lists consisted of still images ofexterior and interior shots, including anglesthat art directors at the agencies requested.Features of people inside the cars aren’tvisible because the agencies want audiencesto imagine themselves behind the wheel.Windows were coated with a 50 percent“transmission” gel that turned drivers intosilhouettes, with the exception of close-upsof hands pushing buttons, opening compartments,etc.Bennett recorded images with anARRIFLEX 435 Xtreme camera mounted withan Angenieux 17-102 mm zoom lens. Thecamera was on a Technocrane with a FlightHead. Baldi’s unit filmed moving cars withan ARRI 435 ES camera mounted with anAngenieux 15-40 mm Optimo zoom lens. Thecamera was on a Filmotechnics Pro ActionArm and Flight Head mounted on DamonLive Action’s Porsche Cayenne. The third unit,headed by Thom Cox, concentrated on filmingcar interiors with an ARRIFLEX 235 camerawith Zeiss Ultra Prime and Revolution snorkellenses on a miniaturized, motorized dolly thatBennett designed. The fourth unit was shootingcars on Damon’s turntable with a custom,carbon fiber arm used to place it in a fixedposition 10 or more feet from the car.Front-end lab work was done byFotoKem in Burbank, California. RIOT inSanta Monica handled telecine transfer andprovided dailies. HDA shot of the ChevyColorado for theGM running footagecampaign.12 13Photo by Tim Damon