More Buttons

Some films were simply waiting to be made. They were just waiting for the right time, the right circumstances in which to be born. The idea of them keeps coming around but they’re too difficult, too problematic, too impossible, too fantastical to leap from faith into reality. And then events collide. Stars align or coincidence intervenes or someone says the right thing to somebody else and suddenly……….. After 86 unsudden years……….. The light is green” The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

I already spoke last edition about the film itself but I would like to make note of the great achievement of the DP Claudio Miranda. As I am sure you are all aware the movie (like “Zodiac”) was shot and recorded digitally using a combination of Thomson Viper and Sony F23 (the Sony was used for all the hospital scenes with Cate Blanchett and Julia Ormond while the Viper was used for almost every other part of the film - please note that 35mm Film was used for some of the MOS traveling footage but everything else was pure digital)

Claudio Miranda proves once and for all that shooting uncompressed digital images (even on a 2/3” camera) can produce the kind of gorgeous, rich, warm and heartfelt pictures worthy of Oscar and ASC type recognition. (Claudio has indeed been nominated for Outstanding Achievement in a Feature Film by the ASC and by BAFTA and now by The Academy!) Claudio has rendered the issues of film vs. digital vs. sensor type mute. He has truly embraced the digital way and in my opinion there is no DP out there right now that knows or can do more than Claudio; his digital plate runneth over!

Of course one has to recognize that the Production Design, Costume Design, Set Decoration and Make-up Design all have an profound influence on the visual results and life of the movie and enormous kudos must go to Donald Graham Burt (“Joy Luck Club”, “White Oleander” & “Zodiac”); Jacqueline West (“League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” & “Invasion”); Victor Zolvo (“Mr & Mrs Smith” & Zodiac”) and Gregg Cannom (Pirates………”Curse of The Black Pearl”, & “Watchmen”) respectively…………….

Also the groundbreaking Visual FX played a huge role in CCBB and hats off to Eric Barba and his amazing team at Digital Domain. Brilliant! It was a feast of VFX and an enormous challenge on many levels: The Post-Supervising fell squarely on the broad shoulders of Peter Mavromates (“Fight Club”, “Kill Bill 1 & 2 and “Zodiac”) The scope and complexity of the post was enormous and to actually bring it all together was an amazing achievement. There are several other people I could mention (not least of whom is Producer Cean Chaffin who I could go on about for days!) but as with any great film CCBB was a true and wonderful collaboration.

Claudio is currently beginning work on “Tron” a remake of the 1982 sci-fi cult classic starringJeff Bridges. “Tron” is being directed by Joe Kazinsky. “and is shooting digitally and in 3D (Cameras - Sony F23, Record/Workflow - Codex)