THE GENESIS OF SEMLER Oscar-winning cinematographer Dean Semler discusses his experiences using Panavisions Genesis camera on Click, Apocalypto and Get Smart
By Mark Edward Harris
Australian cinematographer Dean Semler has had an illustrious career spanning three decades. He first rode to international prominence following his work on the cult classic The Road Warrior, a film that also catapulted Mel Gibson to international stardom. Other fare through the years includes Dances with Wolves and City Slickers. With the Panavision Genesis in-hand, Semler teamed up with Gibson once more on Apocalypto, a feature widely praised by critics.
HDVideoPro caught up with Semler on his latest feature, the remake of the iconic TV comedy caper Get Smart, this time starring comedian Steve Carell. Semler also utilized the Genesis for that production, and here he shares his insights into Panavisions camera and the use of HD in filmmaking.
HDVideoPro: You shot in many locations for Get Smart. How did the Genesis perform in different locations?
Dean Semler: We shot most of the film on stages and locations in LA, but we did travel to Montreal, Washington, D.C., and Russia. The Genesis is fantastic to use for so many reasons, especially in lowlight situations. For example, we shot in Red Square at night with ambient light bouncing off the surrounding buildings without the requirement to set up big lights.
HDVideoPro: What else have you found useful about using the Genesis?
Semler: I actually used it as a very expensive light meter for a restaurant scene shot in Montreal for Get Smart. The place had small chandeliers and little sconces on the walls. We brought the Genesis in, set everything up and then put a wide-angle lens on to take a gander at the scene. I went with a gain boost and had about a 270-degree shutter. It looked beautiful on the monitor. I put in two small 500-watt spots with diffusion for the actors, and that was it. If this scene had been shot on film, I'd have rigged more lights.
HDVideoPro: Can you briefly discuss diffusion? Do you find actors are wary of performing in front of high-definition cameras?
Semler: I use Tiffen's Pro-Mist or an HD diffusion filter manufactured by a company called Formatt. These take the edge off the image slightly. But the advice of my colorist, Steve Bowen at EFILM, is that I don't need to do this. Just keep it clean. You also have to remember that if you're transferring to film, it'll add a grain and softness to the final image.
HDVideoPro: What about in-camera filtration?
Semler: No, I still use glass on the front. I find that the filter in the camera for day correction, from tungsten to daylight, is a little too warm for my liking. It feels more like an 85B. I personally have a system that I understand and used successfully for many years. I start ND-ing down if it's bright and sunny and, as it gets darker, I take them off.
HDVideoPro: Have you had any technical issues with latitude shooting with HD?
Semler: People talk about issues with highlights. I've never experienced any problem with them. I look at the monitor and I see everything the way it's going to be. If I think there's going to be a problem, I'll look at the waveform monitor.
HDVideoPro: How did the decision to shoot Apocalypto in HD come about?
Semler: Mel Gibson came to me four or five years ago and asked me what I knew about digital electronic image capture. I told him I had done a few preliminary tests on the Genesis camera. Then we looked at footage shot by Alan Daviau in Paris with HD and film, intercut and projected on film. Mel was impressed, so I did some scouting alongside him in Mexico. But the shoot was delayed for a year, so I shot Click with Adam Sandler. That was actually the first movie I shot in HD on the Genesis.
HDVideoPro: Why did they decide to go with the Genesis on Click?
Semler: I was introduced to Frank Coraci, producer and director on the project, and we went out to Panavision who demonstrated the camera. They thought it was a terrific image so we went with it.
HDVideoPro: How was the experience using the Genesis for the first time?
Semler: I was comfortable with the experience because we were shooting in Los Angeles. I knew Panavision was 45 minutes away from the set if we experienced any problems. I also had a gamma box called a Colorstream from EFILM, the digital postproduction house where I've finished about six movies on digital intermediate. It creates a generic HD-looking image on a high-definition monitor specifically designed around a filmstock negative, the Kodak 5218, a 500 ISO stock.So what I see on the monitor as I'm shooting makes it look like 5218. I also had the option to choose my own release print stock. In the case of all of Adam Sandler's pictures, it was on Kodak's Vision stock, overall, a gentler stock than most. Apocalypto was transferred onto Premier Print stock that has really gutsy blacks, so the colors pop.
HDVideoPro: How did the Genesis perform in Mexico? You must have had concerns venturing out to such a remote location with new technology.
Semler: We knew it was going to be hot and humid really difficult conditions for any camera. Day after day, it was over 100 degrees with incredibly high humidity, but the camera survived. We had to ramp up for certain scenes, so Panavision delivered three Genesis cameras that could shoot up to 50 fps. We also used the 435 ARRIFLEX for speeds up to 120 to 150 fps.
HDVideoPro: What are your general thoughts on HD filmmaking?
Semler: It's smart filmmaking. The director now can run for 50 minutes without cutting. It's great for actors because they can stay in character. It's an exceptional tool for comedy, specifically on something like Click with Sandler, because it allows for a lot of improvisation. You just keep
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THE GENESIS OF SEMLER Oscar-winning cinematographer Dean Semler discusses his experiences using Panavisions Genesis camera on Click, Apocalypto and Get Smart 
