ARRI equipment in China on "Animal World"

Aside from using 2X anamorphic lenses, what are the other reasons for choosing ALEXA?

We used ALEXA Mini for aerial shots and gimbal work and the rest of film was shot on ALEXA SXT. Since the ALEXA cameras have the same type of sensor and we used the same lenses, the style was uniform, even though we used two different camera types. We shot the film in the remote city of Haikou which meant it would have been very hard to get another camera body if anything went wrong. The reliability of ARRI cameras was outstanding and indeed a relief.

Tell us more about the main scene that features the battle ground? How was it lit?

We spent 5 months shooting ANIMAL WORLD, and about 90 percent of the shoot was done in studio. It was a sci-fi oriented story, so shooting in studio was the easiest way to fulfill the director’s wildest dreams. The main scene was very large and the director required the possibility of switching up to 90 fps at any time, so the gaffer’s work was bigger than usual.

We used a lot of 18Ks throughout shooting and utilized some smoke. Together with a few light beams we tried to create various lit areas. It would have been a huge task to set the lights for the whole scene, so we placed light beams in the most remote areas of the studio. Sometimes the director would go from 24 frames to 90, so that involved moving some of our lights. Most ambient light was controlled by DMX; some lights in the ship were stage lights, but most of the lights were SkyPanel S60s and S30s. We’ve rented almost every S60 and S30 that we could find. All the lights above the table were S60s; we used S30 for smaller areas. We used at least 60 S60s from a total of 4 or 5 rental houses.

We used a lot of 18Ks throughout shooting and utilized some smoke. Together with a few light beams we tried to create various lit areas. It would have been a huge task to set the lights for the whole scene, so we placed light beams in the most remote areas of the studio. Sometimes the director would go from 24 frames to 90, so that involved moving some of our lights. Most ambient light was controlled by DMX; some lights in the ship were stage lights, but most of the lights were SkyPanel S60s and S30s. We’ve rented almost every S60 and S30 that we could find. All the lights above the table were S60s; we used S30 for smaller areas. We used at least 60 S60s from a total of 4 or 5 rental houses.

Since a good deal of the film was spent in this single area, how did you cope with the scenes appearing too similar? How important is flexibility to you in terms of lighting?

We used DMX to control the light most of the time, like in the train scenes, the moving light effect was done on DMX. Our lighting plan was carefully designed; I worked with the gaffer team for almost a month to discuss the lighting effect in different areas, the director also gave us some guidance. We used different themes for different areas, so the lighting of the film changed according to the story. I have also worked as a gaffer before, so personally speaking, the mobility of light is actually a very nice thing to have. As long as it helped us tell the story, we would move the lights. There were scenes in which the light moved with the actors. In the past, some DPs loved to use a Chinese Lantern with a moving crane to light the actors. We are now switching to LEDs which is much lighter even with batteries, especially with the S30. The light from the S30 is very soft and you don’t even know where the light is coming from if you add some diffusion. We were able to light the faces of moving characters without giving away the location of the source.

How did image quality of the ALEXA hold up for the low-lit scenes?

There were actually quite a lot of low-lit scenes. Visually, they appear low-lit, but the actual luminance was more than enough. The hard part was staying flexible to be able to film at 90 fps at any time. Also, we decided to not push the ISO when we were planning our lights, so basically, we went with 800. I tested ALEXA SXT and found there was no problem under 1280. However, that didn’t mean we could take the easier route since the scenes had to be lit properly. ISO 1280 is fine when you have the right exposure.

The image quality is very good. The reliability of ARRI cameras is what has always stood out for me. I’ve been using ARRI cameras since I entered this industry. The most important aspect of the camera is that it can perform just as well under extreme conditions. Image wise, ALEXA SXT has the feeling of film stock. We are still using light meters on set, and the dynamic range of ALEXA is quite different from other cameras. 90 percent of the time you can just go with the reading and there’s nothing more to worry about, just like when we were shooting film stocks. You can treat it like a film camera. Young DPs can really rely on its viewfinder. Whether shooting the old-fashioned way or not, reliability is the most important aspect of ALEXA.

Which format did you record? Was any LUT used to help monitoring? How did the footage from ALEXA SXT perform in post and did anamorphic lenses affect the SFX work?

We recorded in 2.8K ARRIRAW. I had two Fujifilm Mini LUT Boxes so I didn’t use a special LUT. I usually made my LUT on set after talking to the director, then I would decide on what kind of style or preset to use. I’d try my best to show what was closest to the final image. If we needed any further adjustments we would use the LUT Box to produce the effect on set, so the communication would be faster and more efficient.

There’s no problem with the footage from ALEXA SXT or the anamorphic lenses. Anamorphic lenses are like Sichuan cuisine, when it’s spicy, you’ve mastered half of the dish. A commercial film also has to be “spicy”; you have to achieve the best results with the easiest and the most effective method to convey the emotion even before the audience thinks about it. They have to feel those emotional elements immediately, either happy or sad, and that’s why the art of film is so intriguing. 

Are there any new ARRI products or technology that you would love to try out in the future?

Maybe I’m different from others; I studied film in the U.S. and worked as a gaffer for about five years before I returned to the camera. So, what really excites me are SkyPanel S30 and S60. Also, it’s quite a miracle to see that the ARRI M-Series won’t burn out even at an extreme tilt of 80 or 90 degrees. I’m also happy to see ARRI’s advancements in other areas, like the new remote head. The stability was quite nice and I’ve ordered some for upcoming shoots. I’m also happy about ARRI’s lens service team. Maybe I’m one of those eccentrics who is quite enthusiastic about these things, but it’s a good thing to know that we now have a good solution for precision problems on set.  Most DPs would love to work under ideal circumstances and all these technical improvements allow us to be more focused on making a film.

Photos: Animal World