My cinematography talks at Manaki (2)

I’m sharing this diary with you, in portrait photography and text form, like fragments of inspiration, to be shared without moderation. And I’m creating a summary of these encounters in an image, a quote that you can find on the AFC’s Instagram page.

• DAY#2

Christian Berger, AAC

Christian Berger is known for his long collaboration with Michael Haneke, on films such as The White Ribbon, (2009) and The Piano, (2001). He was also the cinematographer on The Notebook, by János Szász.

I was particularly pleased to listen to Christian about how he developed, with his gaffer Jakob Ballinger, his mirror and reflector system for The White Ribbon, and how it would later give rise Lightbridge’s CRLS.

As there were many cinematographers present who wanted more information on the CLRS system, Christian was able to set up an improvised demonstration, with supporting footage and photos of installations, in one of the screening rooms.

I highly recommend you watch his educational video, Evolution of Reflected Light.
It demonstrates how the system works using reference photos from lighting plans and stills from rushes.

Christian explained the advantages:
- Clearing the set of lighting equipment and creating a space where, free of lights and diffusion frames and flags, the actors can move freely from one place to another.
- The CRLS system also allows light to enter a space from relative distance, just as natural light would in a real setting, with light bouncing off elements of the set. Because the reflectors and mirrors are lighting from further away, we get a more natural fall-off than from an HMI through diffusion. The light feels more natural and the scene or actor, less lit. For example when an actor approaches a window lit by an HMI through diffusion, it is often necessary to install flags and yet more diffusion to compensate for the dramatic change in exposure. With the CRLS reflected light system, this is not a problem because as the source is further away, the light is more constant and the fall-off is less important.
- As the CRSL system is made up of reflectors and mirrors, we can use lights that consume less power, leading have a cleaner set with a lot less installation time between set ups…
- The lights that suite the system the most are the parallel beam type. As the intensity of light doesn’t dramatically change with distance, the system operates in the cleanest and simplest way, with few chromatic aberrations and no drop in light intensity at the center of the reflectors. The current downside is this type of lamp is not always available. The high power Dedolight 1.2KW is particularly suitable and more easily available.

In discussions with fellow gaffers and DOP’s after the demonstration, it be came clear that not many of us had experience of working with parallel beam lights. Most had achieved good results with other sources such as the Aputure 1.2KW 5600K with narrow beam accessories and HMI Joker400/800/1600W with the source four 25-50° accessory. To really understandable all this, it is best to see photos of lighting installations and images of the results. Lightbridge share a lot of helpful images on their Instagram...

I extended my time with Christian at the Etola Café after the demonstration. It was inspiring and thought provoking to spend time with someone who, through his childlike wonder and understanding of science and physics, has created tools to replicate the natural light that he observes in nature.

Bruno Delbonnel, AFC, ASC

Bruno Delbonel has been honoured this year at Bitola, winning the 300 Golden Camera award, for his body of work. A star was also dedicated to him on the cobblestones the Cinema Manaki Street.

Since his work on the film Amélie, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Bruno has gone on to be one of the worlds most sought after DOP’s, constantly working with many of the leading directors of the time. Leading American directors such as the Coen brothers (films - Inside Lllewyn Davis, 2013, The Tragedy of Macbeth, 2021), Tim Burton (Miss Peregrin’s Home For Peculiar Children, 2016) and other famous international directors such Alexandre Sokurov for Faust, 2011.

We share a coffee with Bruno Delbonnel, Agnès Godard, Nathalie Durand, Margot Beson and myself. We talked about research, never repeating ourselves. How each film is a new adventure with its own particularities and needs. The term ‘proposition’ seems to ring true with all of us. Essentially each film is a new proposition, a new universe and a new feel with it’s own language and grammar. Each film is tailor made and bespoke. We invent techniques and take risks in order to find the language to unlock the emotions of each story…It takes a lot of reflection and belief.

In this context Bruno talks about the importance of his first reading of a script. It’s the most intimate and accurate reading in terms of his emotional reaction to a story, and his first ideas spring from this moment. He forces himself to take notes and make drawings at this stage, which help him to make associations with all kinds of ideas. Later when in discussion and research with the director and other collaborators, he tries to remain true to his first intuitions and ideas, right up to his work on set. They are necessarily accurate, because they are raw and unfiltered.

(Thanks to Loca Images / Paris for providing the photographic equipment.)