DP Catherine Goldschmidt on the made-for-mobile series Dummy
30/08/2024
In addition to the standard 16:9 aspect ratio, director of photography Catherine Goldschmidt had to create visuals for a vertically oriented 9:16 presentation. Working with marketing executive Mike Carter at Panavision, the team at Light Iron, and DIT Peter Brunet, Goldschmidt helped steer the Dummy team toward a new workflow that would satisfy both framing requirements through the entire pipeline, from on-set capture to final color.
Originally developed as a TV pilot, Dummy was rewritten into ten 10-minute segments to fit into the Quibi format. Produced by Deadbeat co-creator Cody Heller and directed by Tricia Brock, the series is a buddy comedy about an aspiring writer (Anna Kendrick) and her boyfriends sex doll. From my perspective, it was like we were shooting an indie feature, Goldschmidt explains. The script totaled around 100 pages broken into 10 episodes to be shot over 18 days on practical locations across L.A.
Quibi's platform allows viewers to use their smartphones in landscape or portrait orientation, seamlessly adapting the viewing experience whenever the phone is flipped. Technically, this requires two versions of the show with different aspect ratios and a single soundtrack that syncs with both, all of which streams simultaneously to the mobile device. The brief was to frame in 16:9 and in 9:16 for two separate deliverables, Goldschmidt says. The initial recommendation from Quibi was to shoot in 16:9 and then crop-in for the 9:16 resulting, of course, in a much tighter shot.
When I thought this through, it was apparent that if you made the conventional wide and two shot in 16:9, then as soon then as the phone is flipped, all your careful framing goes out of the window, she continues. I just wanted to see if there was a better way.
After consulting with peers who had previous experience framing content for mobile as well as with colleagues at Panavision, Goldschmidt opted for a new approach. No one had yet done what we were about to do, she says. We were given a demo of the way the app was going to work and the tests they had shot. We then shot our own tests, facilitated by Mike Carter and [Panavision technical marketing director]Dominick Aiello, which we took all the way through the pipeline, including dailies at Light Iron and sitting down with final colorist Nick Hasson. Dual framing requires a lot of thought and not a little imagination.
The first decision was to shoot full frame, working under the principle that it is better to work with more information than with less, particularly when it comes to the grade.
I was initially thinking I could shoot a common top a shared headroom between the frames which would make it easier for the boom operator or to light from overhead, Goldschmidt recalls. But the more I scouted, the more I realized how much floor space there would be in 9:16. How could you position a shot that wouldn't destroy both frames or make one unusable? This was the main challenge for myself, the camera operators and everybody to wrap our heads around.
That's when Goldschmidt suggested using the director's viewfinder solution Artemis Prime. I have been an avid user of Artemis as a scout tool on my phone, she notes, and I was delighted that Mike Carter was able to lend us an Artemis Prime finder to scout with during preproduction in order to demonstrate and visualize the two frames properly with the director, the producers and all my collaborators.
The Artemis Prime viewfinder allowed Goldschmidt the flexibility of customizing multiple frame lines in situ while scouting, and to preview the results on an iPad. The ability to take a lens to the location, move around and truly picture the scene happening in both frames was essential for me, the director and everyone I was working with, allowing us to be confident in our choices. It was a delicate dance to satisfy both frames, which are pure opposites.
For her camera, the cinematographer adds, We selected the Sony Venice and cropped the 6K sensor to a 4K square and within that, we framed for 16:9 and 9:16 in a crucifix orientation. This way both frames were the same resolution, and the subject size stayed relatively equal in both frames. The two frames are unique, but both share the same middle portion. The crucifix position of the two frames and the ability to orient them the way we wanted was key.
Although she would be cropping the large-format image horizontally, Goldschmidt was still using the entire height of the sensor, and therefore needed lenses that would cover the sensor vertically. I tested a range of different Panavision large-format lenses and chose Panaspeeds primarily because I liked how fast they were and what they did for the depth of field, she says. I was conscious of the final smaller viewing format and wanted to use depth of field to have more control over where to direct the audience's attention. She rounded out the set with Primo 70s, adjusted slightly to match the Panaspeeds, and a pair of zooms that, in the end, were rarely used.
To generate the three frame lines needed to compose in camera, the crew first turned on the Venice's user frame line for the 1:1 square. Additionally, the A and B cameras each wore a Convergent Design Odyssey 7Q monitor, which served as frame-line generators for the 16:9 and 9:16 guides. By placing the 7Q at the start of the signal chain, Brunet explains, we could pass those frame lines along to the operator's eyepiece as well as to our Teradek transmitter for everyone else to monitor on set.
Goldschmidt and Brock each had two 7 monitors, set
LINK: | https://www.panavision.com/highlights/highlights-detail/smart-solution... |
See more stories from panavision |
More from Panavision France
30/09/2024
Jeff Cronenweth, ASC: The cinematography of Tales From the Loop
Tales From the Loop, a new eight-episode series now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, explores the goings-on in a small Ohio town situated atop a mysterious mach...
25/09/2024
Cinematographer Steven V. Silver, ASC on the sitcom B Positive
The second season of the Chuck Lorre CBS sitcom B Positive finds the kismet-connected duo Gina (Annaleigh Ashford) and Drew (Thomas Middleditch) diving deeper ...
25/09/2024
Director Blake Farber on the Kenyan commercial "Go Ahead"
For the KCB Bank Kenya commercial Go Ahead, director Blake Farber and cinematographer Nicholas Bluff collaborated to craft a portrait of the vibrant people, p...
25/09/2024
Cinematographer Mathieu Bertholet on L't ternit
The coming-of-age drama L' t ternit (released in the U.S. as Our Eternal Summer) marked the continuation of the collaboration between writer-director mi...
25/09/2024
Donald A. Morgan, ASC on the sitcom The Conners
Only a veteran cinematographer such as Donald A. Morgan, ASC could take chisel and hammer and recontour the shape of sitcoms. The eye behind the camera of class...
25/09/2024
Cinematographer Marshall Adams, ASC: The Cinematography of Better Call Saul
Known for photographing cult-classic television such as Felicity and Monk, Marshall Adams, ASC knows how to identify and respond to a story that subverts ex...
25/09/2024
Darius Khondji, ASC, AFC on the cinematography of Bardo
In Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths, Mexican filmmaker and expat Silverio Gama (Daniel Gim nez Cacho) undertakes a mind- and time-bending journey o...
25/09/2024
Stefan Duscio, ACS on the Apple TV+ series Shantaram
Adapted from the novel by Gregory David Roberts, the Apple TV+ series Shantaram tells the epic story of an imprisoned criminal (played by Charlie Hunnam) who es...
25/09/2024
Cinematographer Alan Gwizdowski on Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul.
It's not often that a cinematographer is tasked with shooting a film within a film, but for writer-director Adamma Ebo's feature Honk For Jesus. Save Yo...
25/09/2024
Lachlan Milne, ASC, ACS, NZCS on the feature The Inspection
The lived experiences of writer-director Elegance Bratton are brought to the screen in The Inspection, which follows the character Ellis French (played by Jerem...
25/09/2024
Cinematographer Abraham Martnez on National Treasure: Edge of History
The popular National Treasure franchise has embarked upon a new adventure on Disney+. The 10-episode first season of National Treasure: Edge of History follows ...
25/09/2024
Writer-director Joseph Amenta on the feature Soft
The feature Soft follows three adolescent queer friends as they navigate the pardons and perils of summer break in the streets of Toronto. Written and directed ...
25/09/2024
Cinematographer Matt Toll on the short film G day
Viewed over 19-million times, Tourism Australia's G'day, the short film has set a new bar for tourism videos. The short follows two talking toys, one a ...
25/09/2024
Cinematographer Jimmy Lindsey, ASC on the Apple TV+ series Physical
Created by Annie Weisman, the 1980s-set Apple TV+ series Physical focuses on Sheila Rubin (Rose Byrne) as she navigates a path toward self-discovery after unloc...
23/09/2024
Cinematographer Jeffrey Kim on the comedy feature Babes
Directed by Pamela Adlon, Babes is a heartfelt, contemporary comedy set in vibrant New York City. At its core, the movie is about the deep love and strong frien...
17/09/2024
A Collaboration With Panavision: Oona Menges, BSC
Set in a call center in Bristol, England, the television sitcom Ruby Speaking focuses on the eponymous Ruby (played by Jayde Adams) and her colleagues. It'...
13/09/2024
The Making of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
What I've always loved about his films is that incredible warmth and that incredible imagination, cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos, BSC, GSC says of dire...
06/09/2024
Robert Richardson, ASC: The cinematography of Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
The highly anticipated opus from director Quentin Tarantino doesn't disappoint. It's a typically outrageous conglomeration of comedy and shock laced wit...
06/09/2024
Cinematographer Rachel Morrison, ASC on the feature Seberg
Cinema, the most voyeuristic of mediums, is uniquely placed to convey both the act of surveillance and the psychology of the surveilled. In Seberg, director Ben...
06/09/2024
Dan Mindel, ASC, BSC, SASC: The cinematography of Star Wars Episode IX
In February 2019, director J.J. Abrams called Cut! for the last time during principal photography of the ninth chapter of the long-running Star Wars saga. Sta...
06/09/2024
Cinematographer Jacques Jouffret and director Dave Wilson on Bloodshot
In a cinematic universe expanding with superheroes, the creative challenge for filmmakers is to set newcomers apart from the crowd. The task is doubly important...
06/09/2024
Cinematographer John Conroy, ISC on Penny Dreadful: City of Angels
Having photographed episodes of the Showtime horror drama Penny Dreadful's second and third seasons, John Conroy, ISC was eager to reteam with showrunner Jo...
06/09/2024
Cinematographer Jas Shelton on Homecoming s second season
The psychological thriller Homecoming returns for its sophomore season with fresh twists, nail-biting cliff-hangers, and more of the unnerving cinematography th...
06/09/2024
Cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos, BSC, GSC on Artemis Fowl
Based on the series of novels by Eoin Colfer, the feature Artemis Fowl finds its namesake a precocious, hyperintelligent 12-year-old boy (played by Ferdia Sha...
06/09/2024
Cinematographer Oren Soffer on the short film See You Soon
Vincent lives in Los Angeles, Anthony in New York City. They met on a dating app and have been talking for months, but the physical distance between them has ke...
06/09/2024
Anastas Michos, ASC, GSC on The Kissing Booth 2 and The Empty Man
What are we going to talk about today? cinematographer Anastas Michos, ASC, GSC asks almost immediately after answering his phone. It's late July when Pana...
06/09/2024
Cinematographer Hillary Spera on Run and The Craft: Legacy
The recent features and bear a number of similarities. Chief among them: Both were shot by cinematographer Hillary Spera. Each story also exists in the realm of...
06/09/2024
Trevor Michael Brown and director Uga Carlini on the feature Angeliena
Angeliena follows the adventures and self-discovery of its namesake heroine (played by Euodia Samson), a lovable parking attendant who harbors dreams of traveli...
06/09/2024
Cinematographer Mihai Mlaimare Jr. on The Harder They Fall
Pair a British-born songwriter-director who's collaborated with musicians like Jay-Z with a Romanian cinematographer known for shooting intense dramas, and ...
06/09/2024
Mandy Walker, AM, ASC, ACS: The cinematography of Elvis
It was June 2019 when director Baz Luhrmann first approached cinematographer Mandy Walker, ACS, ASC about collaborating on the new biopic Elvis. I was extremel...
06/09/2024
Polly Morgan, ASC, BSC on the feature Where the Crawdads Sing
Based on the best-selling mystery novel of the same name, the feature Where the Crawdads Sing tells the story of Kya (Daisy Edgar-Jones), a young woman who grew...
04/09/2024
A Collaboration With Panavision: Anna Smoroov, ASK
Cinematographer Anna Smoro ov , ASK's credits include the feature N m tajemstv (aka Suppressed), which played at the 2023 Camerimage International Film Fe...
31/08/2024
Cinematographer Stephan Pehrsson, BSC on collaboration and inspiration
For Stephan Pehrsson, BSC, cinematography has always been an act of communicating with his collaborators, understanding and being open to their ideas, and recog...
30/08/2024
Cinematographer Tim Orr on the series Dickinson
When Apple TV+ was unveiled earlier this year, Apple positioned the video subscription service as the new home for the world's most celebrated creative art...
30/08/2024
DP Catherine Goldschmidt on the made-for-mobile series Dummy
Short-form streaming-video platform Quibi provides premium content specifically designed for consumption on a mobile device. This presented the production of it...
30/08/2024
Cinematographer Don Burgess, ASC on The Witches
Based on the book by Roald Dahl and now streaming on HBO Max, The Witches tells the story of a young boy (Jahzir Bruno) who goes to live with his grandmother (O...
30/08/2024
Cinematographer Simon Reay on the series Lovely Little Farm
My career has spanned many genres, a journey I could have never predicted, says cinematographer Simon Reay. With credits that run the gamut from the series Man...
30/08/2024
Laurent Tangy, AFC on his approach to the feature Mascarade
The feature Mascarade reunited writer-director Nicolas Bedos and cinematographer Laurent Tangy, AFC, following their collaboration on the 2021 release OSS 117: ...
29/08/2024
Cinematographer Matthew Clark on the feature Late Night
A legendary talk show host employs a young scriptwriter and sparks fly in the new indie feature Late Night, premiering at the Sundance Film Festival. Written by...
29/08/2024
Patrick Cady, ASC & supervising colorist Scott Klein on Bosch Season 6
Inspired by Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch novels, the Amazon Prime Video police-procedural series Bosch premiered its sixth season on April 17. The show ha...
29/08/2024
Cinematographer Quyen Tran & colorist Ethan Schwartz on Palm Springs
It's Sarah's sister's wedding day in the Southern California oasis of Palm Springs. During the reception, Sarah meets Nyles, and the two decide to a...
29/08/2024
Cinematographer Stephan Pehrsson, BSC on the series Utopia
The comic book Dystopia tells the story of Jessica Hyde, a young girl on the run from the evil Mr. Rabbit, who holds Jessica's scientist father captive and ...
29/08/2024
Julia Swain & Teodora Totoiu on the documentary Lady Cameraman
Cinematography has truly saved my life, director of photography Julia Swain says in the opening minutes of the documentary. Directed by Swain, the movie charts...
29/08/2024
Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw, ASC on the series Loki
Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Season 1 of the Marvel Studios series Loki finds the titular God of Mischief (played by Tom Hiddleston) in the custod...
29/08/2024
Cinematographer Zach Kuperstein and senior colorist Sam Daley on Barbarian
When cinematographer Zach Kuperstein got the job to shoot writer-director Zach Cregger's horror feature Barbarian, one of the first things he did was reach ...
29/08/2024
Keith Jenson on the Phoenix single "Tonight" featuring Ezra Koenig
For the track Tonight on their album Alpha Zulu, French band Phoenix partnered with Vampire Weekend's lead vocalist and guitarist, Ezra Koenig. Underscori...
19/08/2024
Cinematographer Natasha Braier, ASC, ADF on Honey Boy
Written by Shia LaBeouf and directed by Alma Har'el, Honey Boy presents a semi-autobiographical portrait of LaBeouf's experiences as a 12-year-old child...
19/08/2024
Erik Messerschmidt, ASC & Ian Vertovec on the feature Devotion
In October 1948, Jesse Brown became the first African American to complete the U.S. Navy's flight training program and received his Naval Aviator Badge. The...
19/08/2024
Kramer Morgenthau, ASC on the cinematography of Creed III
Creed III finds Adonis Creed son of the late boxing champ Apollo Creed, the erstwhile nemesis, mentor and friend of Rocky Balboa a successfully retired heav...
19/08/2024
Matthias Knigswieser, AAC on the cinematography of A Man Called Otto
Adapted from the 2015 Swedish film which itself was adapted from the Swedish novel En man som heter Ove (A Man Called Ove), director Marc Forster's feat...