Micro Salon Italia 2014

 [fsg_gallery id=”1″]

The 2nd annual Micro Salon Italia took place this year a few weeks after the original Paris Micro Salon. Staged at Rome’s Cinecittà Studios, which is now its usual venue, it attracted  Italian and leading international manufacturers, distributors and rental companies. Everyone supported the AIC in expanding from last year’s Stage 1 to Stage 1 and 2, with a total of 3,000 sq mt of indoor exhibitions and a large outdoor area.

Even though this year’s political and economical situation in Italy has probably worsened since last year, Micro Salon Italia was a total success with over 4,000 visitors between March 7th and 8th.

Students from Italy’s Cinema Schools attended: Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, Istituto Roberto Rossellini and NUCT. Cinematographers, producers, directors, camera operators, assistants, gaffers, grips, and television crews looked at the new gear displayed in 42 booths. They met top Cinematographers like Vittorio Storaro, Giuseppe Rotunno, Luciano Tovoli, Gianni Mammolotti, Romano Albani, Giuseppe Pinori, Adolfo Bartoli, Paolo Rossato, Vincenzo Condorelli and many other AIC members.

Among the new announcements at Cinecittà Studios, ARRI had the Amira in its final form – as it will be shown at NAB 2014. ARRI also showed the Alexa, Zeiss zooms, CP.2 primes, L7 lights and the new Duppy LED studio diffuser. K5600 showed the new Alpha 9-6 kW with a 450mm fresnel lens; CANON had the Cinema EOS 1D X and XF 305 – XFA25, C500, C300 & C100, the Legria mini X, lenses etc.

Panalight displayed the Alexa XT full frame, Red Dragon Carbon Fiber and a full set of new Panavision Primo V series lenses, specifically designed for 35mm digital cinema cameras and the PVintage series, plus Leica’s Summilux, ZEISS Master Anamorphics, and Angénieux’s 48-580 T4 Anamorphic. Outdoors was Panalight’s helicopter with remote heads and Scorpio Arm truck and OB van, Hydroflex blimps. D-Vision / Movie People had a Russian Arm, brand new generator truck with Daylight fresnels, a crane and their MovieFly Octodrones. DBW had a new generation Moviedrone that flew around demostrating its versitality with a SONY F55 4K.

Daniele Nannuzzi, AIC President (Associazione Italiana Autori della Fotografia Cinematografica, Association of Italian Cinematographers) told FDTimes: “We are proud of this extremely successful show and of the number of visitors this year… incredibly, AIC’s Micro Salon Italia welcomed 1,500 more visitors than the original Micro Salon in Paris this year…”

AFC Vice-President Richard Andry, from Paris for the Roman opening, congratulated Daniele Nannuzzi, Davide Mancori and Simone Marra for their great effort in making this Micro Salon Italia an outstanding event. Attendees and exhibitors alike agreed it was an extremely productive show that should stay on the stage of European Cinematography events.

Various presentations and seminars were held at the AIC museum that houses a staggering array of cameras, lenses, lights and tripods. In this lofty atmosphere one could not fail to feel totally inspired by the history and craftsmanship that Italian Cinematographers have tirelessly created to achieve with their images.

The SONY seminar was on 4K, Movie People’s presented the Russian Arm, ARRI the Amira, Trans Audio Video was on CANON, ADCOM and BLUTEK broadcast products, Mike Wagner on ARRI LED technology and TIFFEN’s filter expert Carey Duffy presented his 34 minute video on TIFFEN’s diffusion filters shot in 4K, designed to embellish digital capture formats with a tool that cinematographers have used since time began–Glass!

Carey Duffy, who loves Rome, told FDTimes “The passion for Cinematography was in the air and in this hive of activity. Attendee’s strolled around viewing and questioning exhibitors about their products…and if one wanted to be more adventurous, a stroll around the studios was a must. Behind the exhibits lay an equally magnificent studio complex boasting magnificent open air back lot sets that include the Roman Forum, Italian Medieval Assisi and turn of the century Broadway streets. Not forgetting the eerily recently vacated back lot set of Universal’s blockbuster feature film “Everest” directed by Baltasar Kormàkur, with Sal Totino, ASC as cinematographer, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Josh Brolin.”

On Saturday afternoon at Cinecittà Studios’ packed Sala Fellini, Vittorio Storaro, AIC, ASC, flanked by his co-authors Luciano Tovoli, AIC, ASC and Daniele Nannuzzi AIC, presented his latest book “Art of Cinematography” giving a watchful audience an idea of the Storaro meaning for “…a great visual experience…a tribute to 150 Cinematographers from Cinematographers…that underscores the fundamental place of the Cinematographer in the creation of the Seventh Art.”

The presentation was followed by Visual Effects samplers made by art director and VFX supervisor Greg Strasz for films like “Anonymous, “2012”, “White House down” and “The Rich”.

Just before the closing ceremony party buffet, 91 year old Giuseppe Rotunno, the famed Cinematographer of Luchino Visconti and Federico Fellini was presented an AIC Honorary Membership Award. As a nugget, Rotunno screened an unreleased short film, directed by his wife Graziolina Campori in 1950, his first work as a Cinematographer.

Suggestion for Micro Salon Italia 2015: AIC should provide personal badges with name, profession, or company. This would be a good way to meet new colleagues and would also help exhibitors, in consideration of the number of young people in the industry.

Rome, March 2014. JLG

Flickr Slideshow and Gallery:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fdtimes/sets/72157642459602105/

 

Leave a Comment

1 Response:

Tags: , ,