David Fincher Sets Trends and Breaks Records
December 26th 2006 15:59
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Technically speaking, David Fincher did not shoot Zodiac- he 'lensed' the film, keeping the footage directly within the (Viper) camera until he was ready to upload it to his home computer lab. Apparently his determination to employ this revolutionary new style of film-making was met with much discomfort from the studios, and was only approved after he agreed to be financially liable for any loss or degradation of the footage. Considering that Viper merely takes the extra step of removing the reel from the camera out, you have to wonder what exactly these people were so apprehensive about... According to David, he was able to save a lot of time on the shoot as there was no need to pause for camera reloads. Forget about reinventing the reel, this guy is initiating the process of making it obsolete altogether!
Geoff Boyle of Showreel.org considers that Zodiac's contribution to contemporary film-making will go down as a turning point in the history of cinema. (Read the rest of his exhaustive article here, which includes an audio interview with DF.)
There are a few pivotal moments in the history of motion pictures, starting with the breaking of The Motion Picture Patents Company in 1915, which directly lead to the foundation of Hollywood. The other important events are:
• The introduction of sound in 1927;
• The introduction of 3-strip Technicolor in the mid-30s;
• The introduction of Widescreen with The Robe in 1953;
• Eastman Color negative film in the mid-50s;
• In the mid-70s both Panavision and Arri launched lightweight 35mm sync cameras;
• The first major use of DI for an entire film with Pleasantville in 1998;
• 2006: the first major Hollywood film to be shot and captured using uncompressed 4:4:4 full-range RGB,
David Fincher’s new movie Zodiac is not the first film to be shot and captured using uncompressed 4:4:4 full-range RGB; it’s not even the first film to be originated totally digitally in full bandwidth uncompressed: Silence Becomes You and Le Poulain came first. But it is the first major Hollywood movie with a serious ($85 million) budget. This makes it a film that will be noticed and have an effect on the way that other majors make movies.
According to DF, Viper also allows him greater control, with footage being instantly accessible. Below is an example of how the original image appears, and the results of colour-correction.
Meanwhile, David's next film, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," represents Paramount Pictures' most sizable investment thus far with a $150 million budget. The film, which stars Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, is about a man who experiences life by aging in reverse.
Producer Michael Arata said the Pitt movie would break all of Paramount's production records. “This is the largest movie ever filmed in the state of Louisiana and the largest movie that Paramount Studios, which has been around forever, has ever tried. So, it’s an enormous, enormous economic boon,” said Arata. Arata said dozens of New Orleanians are already employed on pre-production work for the film. Actual production should begin in November and last through April 2007. [source]
Fincher, who compares the current state of digital film-making to a newborn baby taking its first breath, will also be directing a film called 'Torso' in the near future. For the latest info on all three feature projects, check out the comprehensive resources of http://zodiacfilm.blogspot.com/.
Somewhere in between 30,000 takes, David Fincher and Jake Gyllenhaal are caught grinning at the same time! Whoa!
Geoff Boyle of Showreel.org considers that Zodiac's contribution to contemporary film-making will go down as a turning point in the history of cinema. (Read the rest of his exhaustive article here, which includes an audio interview with DF.)
There are a few pivotal moments in the history of motion pictures, starting with the breaking of The Motion Picture Patents Company in 1915, which directly lead to the foundation of Hollywood. The other important events are:
• The introduction of 3-strip Technicolor in the mid-30s;
• The introduction of Widescreen with The Robe in 1953;
• Eastman Color negative film in the mid-50s;
• In the mid-70s both Panavision and Arri launched lightweight 35mm sync cameras;
• The first major use of DI for an entire film with Pleasantville in 1998;
• 2006: the first major Hollywood film to be shot and captured using uncompressed 4:4:4 full-range RGB,
David Fincher’s new movie Zodiac is not the first film to be shot and captured using uncompressed 4:4:4 full-range RGB; it’s not even the first film to be originated totally digitally in full bandwidth uncompressed: Silence Becomes You and Le Poulain came first. But it is the first major Hollywood movie with a serious ($85 million) budget. This makes it a film that will be noticed and have an effect on the way that other majors make movies.
According to DF, Viper also allows him greater control, with footage being instantly accessible. Below is an example of how the original image appears, and the results of colour-correction.
The raw data appears to have a green tinge
I want to know how he captured the reflections on the glass
Meanwhile, David's next film, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," represents Paramount Pictures' most sizable investment thus far with a $150 million budget. The film, which stars Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, is about a man who experiences life by aging in reverse.
Producer Michael Arata said the Pitt movie would break all of Paramount's production records. “This is the largest movie ever filmed in the state of Louisiana and the largest movie that Paramount Studios, which has been around forever, has ever tried. So, it’s an enormous, enormous economic boon,” said Arata. Arata said dozens of New Orleanians are already employed on pre-production work for the film. Actual production should begin in November and last through April 2007. [source]
Fincher, who compares the current state of digital film-making to a newborn baby taking its first breath, will also be directing a film called 'Torso' in the near future. For the latest info on all three feature projects, check out the comprehensive resources of http://zodiacfilm.blogspot.com/.
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Comment by pegasus
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Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
I had heard a bit about the lensing of the film and the revolutionary technique.
Thanks for the up to date info