Pic of the Day – The Mummy [1959]
(Above) Italian artist Mario Piovano takes on Hammer’s 1959 version of The Mummy. Pic via Heritage Auctions.
Posters and Cover Art
Frame By Frame
Fahrenheit 451 (2018)
Year – 2018
Decade – 2010s
Cinematographers – Kramer Morgenthau (IMDB link)
Director – Ramin Bahrani (IMDB link)
Aspect Ratio – 1.78
Distributor – HBO
Genre – Sci-Fi
Cameras – Panasonic VariCam 35 (3840×2160 UHD with AVC-Intra compression) for the main cameras; Zenmuse X5S on a DJI Inspire 2 drone for wide aerial shots; GoPro Hero4 Black for point of view shots
Lenses – Zeiss Super Speeds for the main lenses; Panavision Primo zooms and Lensbaby Composor Pros (for flashbacks) were also used
Format – Digital; Spherical
Miscellaneous – According to American Cinematographer magazine, Morgenthau favored the 29mm and 40mm Super Speeds and typically shot between a T1.4 and a T2.0. Director Ramin Bahrani’s visual references included Orson Welles’ Touch of Evil and The Trial.
Other Key Words
Opening Credits Color Flashbacks Point of View Night Exteriors
Further Reading
American Cinematographer magazine’s feature on the film, from the June 2018 issue
CinemaTechnic’s history of the Zeiss Super Speeds
Interview with cinematographer Kramer Morganthau from Panavison’s official site Continue Reading ›
Behind the Scenes
The Shot Behind the Shot – Fahrenheit 451 (2018)
Behind the scenes of the HBO retelling of Ray Bradbury’s classic sci-fi cautionary tale Fahrenheit 451. Shot by cinematographer Kramer Morganthau on Panasonic’s 4K VariCam 35 with Panavision Super Speed and Ultra Speed legacy primes. The lighting units you see on frame right – both sitting on the ground and perched on the stand – are Arri SkyPanels.
The set pic on the left comes from American Cinematographer magazine’s feature on the film from the June issue, which you can read here.
Behind the Scenes
“Now yous can’t leave” – Bikers vs. Gangsters on the set of A Bronx Tale (1993)
Chazz Palminteri prepares to drag a camera operator across a bar room floor on a sound blanket in order to get a POV shot of Palminteri’s gangster character yanking a biker out of his bar in 1993’s A Bronx Tale. I first saw this one when I rented it from Video Village on VHS when I was 16. It’s still my favorite movie.
Here’s the full bikers vs. gangsters melee from the film.
Frame By Frame
Aeon Flux (2005)
Year – 2005
Decade – 2000s
Cinematographer – Stuart Dryburgh (IMDB credits)
Director – Karyn Kusama (IMDB credits)
Aspect Ratio – 2.40
Distributor – Paramount, MTV Films
Genre – Action; Sci-Fi
Format – 35mm
Other Key Words
Warm Light Wide Shots Extreme Close-Ups High and Low Angles
Click on any link to view other films featuring frames from that category. Continue Reading ›
Posters and Cover Art
Pic of the Day – The 400 Blows posters from around the world
Various artwork for Francois Truffaut’s directorial debut, 1959’s semi-autobiographical The 400 Blows. Love the English-language poster, which makes the film look like a Blackboard Jungle-esque juvenile delinquent B-movie.
Behind the Scenes
Pic of the Day – Behind the scenes of Solo (2018)
Cinematographer Bradford Young (Arrival, Selma, A Most Violent Year) frames up a handheld shot of Chewbacca on the set of Solo: A Star Wars Story. That’s actor Warwick Davis behind Chewie. Davis first appeared as the Ewok Wicket in Return of the Jedi and has since played various roles in The Phantom Menace, The Force Awakens, Rogue One, and The Last Jedi.
Behind the Scenes
Pic of the Day – Behind the scenes of The BFG (2016)
Steven Spielberg and longtime cinematographer Janusz Kaminski rocking a giant slate on the set of The BFG (2016). Photo via Shot On What.
