Author Archives: FDTimes Contributor

Sean Bobbitt Interview

Eva Sehet and Noé Bach, French film students, write: “We met Sean Bobbitt at the Holiday Inn hotel where he stayed for the Camerimage festival. As cinematography students we were very lucky to have the chance to interview him because he was very busy during this festival: he conducted an incredible handheld workshop, had a conference about film stock with Bruno Delbonnel, was part of the Polish competition jury and managed a very in-depth discussion after the screening of Steve McQueen’s latest movie, 12 Years a Slave…” read more…

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In the Name of…Simplicity

By Lucile Mercier. In The Name Of / W imię (Polish competition) directed by Małgośka Szumowska and cinematography by Michał Englert, enlightened the screen in the Camerimage festival, the wonderful place where by definition light “is”… But what to think of when leaving the theatre, be it here or anywhere else? … read more…

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Idziak Guide for Cinematographers

Jacques Delacoux (president of Transvideo) and Marc Galerne (president of K5600) invited students to Camerimage 2013 in Bydgoszcz, Poland. They sponsored 6 students from the French National Film School Louis Lumière, 6 from La Fémis in Paris, and 5 from the Lodz Film School. Part of their assignment was to write articles about their experience for Film and Digital Times. The reports follow. We begin with Georges Harnack’s review of Slawomir Idziak ‘s essay “Visual Identity: The Idziak Look”  read more…

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Highlights of Camerimage 2013

by Madelyn Most. Camerimage 2013. Bydgoszcz, Poland Nov 17-23 If you’re lucky enough to get yourself to Bydgoszcz, you catch the buzz and excitement; each year gets better, friendlier, warmer. But bigger and better means denser, more concentrated, more demanding. With “fulfillment” comes “frustration:” choosing between 3, 4, or 5 equally important events all running in parallel. One option is… read more…

2013 Broadcast India Show

A recent Reader’s Digest test reveals how people across the world react after finding lost wallets. As part of the study, 192 wallets were placed in parks, shopping malls and sidewalks across 16 cities around the globe. In each of the cities, ‘lost’ wallets were left with a mobile number, a family photo, business cards and cash equivalent of $50. Although… read more…

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Lords of Steadicam

The first European Steadicam Workshops were held in the early 80s. They were initiated by Nicola Pecorini and Garrett Brown. Nicola (“Base”) Pecorini and Francesca Carapelli’s company organized these wonderful workshops in historic Italian monasteries and breathtaking castles. When “Base” ceased organizing workshops in the early 90s, Christian Betz took up the cause with Ted Churchill, Garrett Brown, Jacques Monges,… read more…

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Plus Camerimage 2012

Madelyn Most attended and reviewed this year’s International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography, Bydgoszcz, Poland  November 24 – December 1, 2012. Some years are better than others, but in its 20th anniversary, Camerimage was tremendous. Dedicated exclusively to the art of cinematography and the image makers, Camerimage showcased Russian and Eastern Europe works, Hollywood blockbusters, Western European movies,… read more…

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Le Futur, Part 2

Previously, Madelyn Most discussed the impact of digital on cinematographers, mostly in England. In this article, she takes her investigation to France: Returning home to France last winter, I wondered how cinematographers here would respond to the digital versus film debate. After lengthy interviews and discussions, each person decided to compose their own contribution in their own words. Here are… read more…

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Talk About the Future, Pt. 1

Madelyn Most wrote at Camerimage last November: “There was a certain buzz, not only about the new cameras, but what impact digital technology was having on the actual job and responsibilities of cinematographers. Has it really surpassed film?” Madelyn prepared a 12-page booklet of observations by cinematographers, mostly British and American, assembled fast and furiously in time for the BSC show this past… read more…

BIRTV 2012 Beijing

BIRTV, Beijing’s International Television & Film equipment exhibition was held this year from August 22 – 25. Attendance was up 5%. The Chinese market seems to be showing  interest and acceptance of high caliber products. Around 500 manufacturers exhibited, directly or through their local representatives: Arri, Sony, Tiffen, Grass Valley, Cooke, Fujifilm, Angénieux, Canon, P+S Technik, Cartoni, Shape, Transvideo, Miller,… read more…

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Broadcast India 2011

Broadcast India, organized by Kavita Meer of Saicom Trade Fairs & Exhibitions Pvt Ltd, was back as a hit this year. The 2011 Broadcast India show was held at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai (Bombay) from October 20 to 22, 2011. Along with the exhibition, Broadcast India also held a two day conference: a platform for informative presentations, lively… read more…

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BIRTV 2011

Beijing’s BIRTV 2011 was without doubt China’s most prestigious Film and TV exhibiton and one of the largest and most influential industry events in Asia this year. 56,900 industry professionals and visitors attended BIRTV 2011 from August 24th to 27th. There were 469 exhibitors (Film: 86; Video: 192; Related equipment & Technology: 41; Digital & Mobile TV: 52; Post: 10; Transmission:… read more…

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Mako’s Marvelous Mini Cams

We’ve all seen how digital still cameras that also shoot HD video, such as the Panasonic GH2 or Canon 5D MkII, have made a big impact on projects, large, small and “we’ll pay for lunch.” But there is another group of cameras that are much smaller and have been popping up in all types of surprising places. These are the… read more…

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Moviecam and Arricam Comparison

Arturo Jacoby, lens technician at Clairmont Camera and overall camera wizard, got the idea to compare the Moviecam SL Mk2 with the Arricam LT. He wanted to make comparisons based on measurements and weights of both camera bodies with different magazines. When he started looking for the factory technical specs about these cameras, he didn’t find much.  So, he decided to do it… read more…

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Moviecam and Arricam Weights, cont’d

Moviecam SL Mk2 and the Arricam LT comparisons, by Arturo Jacoby, Clairmont Camera Technician “Finally, let me express my most sincere congratulations for the great project Film and Digital Times. We are learning a lot thanks to your publication. Here at Clairmont, I see many technicians and customers getting a copy and filing it for later use. Read and learn. The magazine comes with… read more…

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ZEISS Cine Lens Day 2010

Two thoughts come into my mind when reflecting on this year’s Cine Lens Day at Carl Zeiss in Oberkochen, Germany. 1. They sure fed us well. 2. They sure have a lot of lenses. But let’s start at the beginning… The biennial Cine Lens Day takes place at the Carl Zeiss headquarters in Oberkochen, about two hours northwest of Munich…. read more…

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Alexa Plus at IBC and Cinec

The Alexa Plus is the newest addition to ARRI’s line of (digital) cameras. The PLUS provides built-in lens control and lens data, familiar to Arriflex 416 Plus users. Owners of “regular” Alexa EV models are offered an upgrade path to the Plus at a reduced rate. ARRI also introduced the RCU-4 remote control panel, which is capable of controlling everything… read more…

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Supertechno 100

Every Cinec visitor must have seen this at the show. It was too large to miss. Right in front of the entrance of hall 3, the Supertechno 100 was raised into the blue Bavarian sky. (the Crane in front is the Panther Galaxy: 57 ft max lens height) After 4 years in development, Horst Burbulla premiered the Supertechno 100 at Cinec…. read more…

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Solid Grip Systems Camera Cart

The Solid Grip Systems camera cart, designed by Dutch key grip Onno Perdijk, can be disassembled so that all parts are contained between two shelves. Its modular design allows shelves to be added as needed. Onno also offers some accessories like the bicycle bell (see picture), or a bracket to attach a sliding base plate for easy camera transport.

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Rickshaw Dolly

Hans Hellner, key grip from Hamburg, Germany, presented his newest invention, the Rickshaw Dolly at this year’s Cinec. The Rickshaw Dolly is a wheelchair dolly deluxe. It is made of solid aluminium plates, equipped with downhill mountainbike wheels, hydraulic disk brakes, and has an adjustable seat and footrest. It allows the camera operator to sit in comfort while being pushed or… read more…

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