Oscar Nominations

[Jim McKinney]

Awards and nominations aren't everything, but they are nice to get! ;-)

Congratulations to the following:

ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY

“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Emmanuel Lubezki
“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Robert Yeoman
“Ida” Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski
“Mr. Turner” Dick Pope
“Unbroken” Roger Deakins

I've seen three of the above, and I know they are all worthy of course, but does anybody out there have any Honorable Mentions they want to throw out there?

 

[Frank Glencairn]

Astonishingy it's all Arri, except a 7D and a Moviecam

ASC AWARDS 2015:
- UNBROKEN (DoP: Roger Deakins): ARRI ALEXA XT Studio / ALEXA XT Plus / ALEXA XT M
- BIRDMAN (Dop: Emmanuel Lubezki): ARRI ALEXA XT Plus / ALEXA M
- MR.TURNER (DoP: Dick Pope): ARRI ALEXA Plus
- THE IMITATION GAME (DoP: Óscar Faura): ARRICAM ST/LT, ARRIFLEX 435
- THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (DoP: Robert Yeoman): ARRICAM ST/LT

Academy Awards 2015 ,,Best Cinematography'':
- UNBROKEN (DoP: Roger Deakins): ARRI ALEXA XT Studio / ALEXA XT Plus / ALEXA XT M
- BIRDMAN (Dop: Emmanuel Lubezki): ARRI ALEXA XT Plus/ ALEXA M
- MR.TURNER (DoP: Dick Pope): ARRI ALEXA Plus
- IDA (DoP:Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski): ARRI ALEXA PLUS 4:3
- THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (DoP: Robert Yeoman): ARRICAM ST

Academy Awards 2015 ,,Best Film'':
- BIRDMAN: ARRI ALEXA XT Plus / ALEXA M
- AMERICAN SNIPER: ARRI ALEXA XT
- SELMA: ARRI ALEXA XT Plus
- THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING: ARRI ALEXA Plus
- WHIPLASH: ARRI ALEXA , Canon 7D (some shots)
- THE IMITATION GAME : ARRICAM ST/LT, ARRIFLEX 435
- THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL : ARRICAM ST
- BOYHOOD: 35mm Moviecam

 

[David Mullen ASC]

Generally it's been split between shows shot on film versus digital, but with "Ida" (Alexa) replacing "Imitation Game" (shot on film) in the Oscar race compared to the ASC list, there is only one feature shot on film this year nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar.

 

[Frank Glencairn]

"Transformers 4", "Lucy", and "The Hobbit", obviously because they were all shot on RED!

To be fair, Lucy A-camera was mostly F65, and RED for plates.

 

[dio Zafi]

Astonishingy it's all Arri, except a 7D and a Moviecam

ASC AWARDS 2015:
- UNBROKEN (DoP: Roger Deakins): ARRI ALEXA XT Studio / ALEXA XT Plus / ALEXA XT M
- BIRDMAN (Dop: Emmanuel Lubezki): ARRI ALEXA XT Plus / ALEXA M
- MR.TURNER (DoP: Dick Pope): ARRI ALEXA Plus
- THE IMITATION GAME (DoP: Óscar Faura): ARRICAM ST/LT, ARRIFLEX 435
- THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (DoP: Robert Yeoman): ARRICAM ST/LT

Academy Awards 2015 ,,Best Cinematography'':
- UNBROKEN (DoP: Roger Deakins): ARRI ALEXA XT Studio / ALEXA XT Plus / ALEXA XT M
- BIRDMAN (Dop: Emmanuel Lubezki): ARRI ALEXA XT Plus/ ALEXA M
- MR.TURNER (DoP: Dick Pope): ARRI ALEXA Plus
- IDA (DoP:Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski): ARRI ALEXA PLUS 4:3
- THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (DoP: Robert Yeoman): ARRICAM ST

Academy Awards 2015 ,,Best Film'':
- BIRDMAN: ARRI ALEXA XT Plus / ALEXA M
- AMERICAN SNIPER: ARRI ALEXA XT
- SELMA: ARRI ALEXA XT Plus
- THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING: ARRI ALEXA Plus
- WHIPLASH: ARRI ALEXA , Canon 7D (some shots)
- THE IMITATION GAME : ARRICAM ST/LT, ARRIFLEX 435
- THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL : ARRICAM ST
- BOYHOOD: 35mm Moviecam

and wasn't the moviecam eventually bought out by Arri...??

 

[Marc Wielage]

I was disappointed that Kirk Baxter wasn't nominated for Best Editing on Gone Girl. I though the entire editorial team did an amazing job putting this film together, particularly when you consider the number of invisible effects, repositions, and multiple-takes-within-shots that they did. It's a fairly incredible film from a technical standpoint, and I think they really pushed the envelope in terms of what could be done in the editing room.

 

[Bob Gundu]

I don't think I've watched the Oscars in 15 years.

 

[Michael Tiemann]

I thought Selma was incredibly well done: casting, acting, lighting, color, editing, everything. I had an "a-ha" moment while watching the credits roll: a still from the bridge scene where MLJ Jr. bends down to pray is composed as a kind of "last supper" moment, with various actors around him looking in all different directions with all different expressions, each gaze and visage speaking to both the character of the actor and the nature of the moment. Lots of crowd scenes are just random. That crown was composed.

 

[charles lim yi yong]

lol ever since hezorg cursed RED. Better get Mr Hezorg to bless the RED

 

[David Battistella]

Generally it's been split between shows shot on film versus digital, but with "Ida" (Alexa) replacing "Imitation Game" (shot on film) in the Oscar race compared to the ASC list, there is only one feature shot on film this year nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar.

Yup.

It's all about the light.

Battistella

 

[Paulo Emílio]

maybe "Weapon" can be on the Oscar 2017

 

[Björn Benckert]

We kind of have to give it to Arri. In these times where there is so many different camera brands around they got the oscars covered pretty good, lol.

 

[Ryan Sauve]

We kind of have to give it to Arri. In these times where there is so many different camera brands around they got the oscars covered pretty good, lol.

Agreed, and until RED can convince juggernauts like Deakins ("The images from the Red system just don't seem to have such a wide tonal range or color 'depth' as those recorded by the Alexa." - January 31, 2015), established DPs who seem to consistently contend in this category aren't likely to switch from what's worked for them in the past. Here's to hoping that Weapon gets them looking over in RED's corner. But then again, if tonal range and color depth is the concern, we may have to wait for the next RED sensor for that to happen... and that's not taking into account what ARRI might do before then. Funny how both are amazing cameras and I personally can't tell the difference. But then again, I'm just a mom and pop shop.

 

[Steve Sherrick]

There is a crop of young DPs that have grown up on camera systems like RED, Canon, and Blackmagic. I'm sure eventually the Oscars will have a better mix of camera formats in the Best Film category. But honestly, I just want to see great films regardless of what they are filmed on. The world is going through such a dynamic shift right now and I would think that this is going to lead to some incredible stories. No doubt RED cameras will capture some of those.

 

[Christoffer Glans]

To be fair, Lucy A-camera was mostly F65, and RED for plates.

I think the list of films "shot on red" at red.com isn't very truthful. A lot of them have plates shot on Epic, which isn't at all the same as the entire movie having it as it's primary camera. I think they should point out what the red camera was used for, because it's misguiding to just point out "they used it on it". Same goes for Oblivion, yes those plates outside the windows in the sky tower are shot with Epic MX, but the entire film is shot on F65... still, it has a place in the "shot on red" section at red.com?

There is a crop of young DPs that have grown up on camera systems like RED, Canon, and Blackmagic. I'm sure eventually the Oscars will have a better mix of camera formats in the Best Film category. But honestly, I just want to see great films regardless of what they are filmed on. The world is going through such a dynamic shift right now and I would think that this is going to lead to some incredible stories. No doubt RED cameras will capture some of those.

I agree, there is a reason why Alexa and Arri represent almost every movie at the oscars. They were mostly shot by cinematographers who for long have used 35mm film. Most of them have such a close relationship with Arri and the Alexa had a primary goal of copying the film look they love. It's no wonder everyone turn to Alexa when choosing a digital format. Shame though that all of these movies shot on Alexa will never be able to look good on 4K screens. There are so many masterpieces that will stay in 1080p and that's just bad in my opinion. I wonder why non of these cinematographers care about the future for their movies. I think many of them will look back and regret not shooting on a higher resolution.

But my point is that these cinematographers are a film generation. When the "digital" generation of cinematographers who really made their career during the switch to digital or who has never shot on film, step up and "take over" after the current masters, we will see a whole other map of cameras used. This is why I think that Arri will eventually fall behind and maybe even become left behind in the digital cinema world. They don't have a strategy that will work with the new generation of filmmakers. Red has the right mentality and that's why they grown into the top 2 most used digital cinema cameras on the market under just 7 years.

With 4K being on the edge of taking over the TV market, the demand will grow for 4K material and more and more will there be instances like with Netflix who demand shooting their own series on Red because of 4K. With the Alexa mini released with the same tech as the regular Alexa, but in a smaller camera body over 4 years after Red did the same with Epic; it just shows that they try to follow the trends, but lack the vision of the future and falling behind the schedule. Who would want to shoot on the Alexa mini when 4K delivery is around the corner? Who in their right mind get tricked by Arri's "it's a 4K camera" statement?

It's the 35mm film cinematographers who make it look like Alexa has the upper hand. They use it because they feel it gives them the same workflow as film, they don't like thinking too much about technology while working. But the harsh truth is that they have to, soon they will have to look at others like Red.

 

[Matt W.]

rri represent almost every movie at the oscars. They were mostly shot by cinematographers who for long have used 35mm film. Most of them have such a close relationship with Arri and the Alexa had a primary goal of copying the film look they love. It's no wonder everyone turn to Alexa when choosing a digital format. Shame though that all of these movies shot on Alexa will never be able to look good on 4K screens. There are so many masterpieces that will stay in 1080p and that's just bad in my opinion. I wonder why non of these cinematographers care about the future for their movies. I think many of them will look back and regret not shooting on a higher resolution.

Arri has very close relationship with prestige DPs and maintains it over its relationship with "mavericks" (Fincher, Soderbergh) and blockbuster DPs. There are rumors floating around that Deakins was given a lot of money to switch to the Alexa, though I don't think it's as simple as that since his work on the Alexa has been as good as his work on film in my opinion (not in the opinion of the person who told me as much). Certainly, when it short supply, Alexas have been rented to Oscar contenders over blockbusters... Hugo got Alexas while Pirates got Reds... Arri is smart about its market and wants to hold onto prestige pictures for the brand and then infiltrate tv production for the profits. Also, Deakins asked for a ground glass viewfinder and only Arri offers one in a modern digital camera.

The resolution argument is really misguided, though. 2.8K raw resolves as well as 35mm film. Most features are still released in 2k with 2k vfx work and while 4k film scans are possible for remasters (and preferable due to the need to avoid aliasing), remastering 2k digital video and redoing vfx sequences is cost prohibitive. If you A/B Alexa and Red in theaters the difference is not that significant. The Alexa resolves very, very well. Particularly in anamorphic with the 4x3 sensor.

If everything shot on the Alexa is "too soft" for future audiences (who are watching on what--300" tvs? rather than their iPads, which are "retina" at 2k anyway), so is everything shot on 35mm.

 

[Mark K.]

I think people make way too big of a jump to assume it's just Arricam users remaining Arri users as things have transitioned to digital. A large percentage of DoPs shooting on Alexa these days were 'Panavision Guys' when it came to film cameras. So it's not just brand loyalty. As far as I can tell, it's primarily about latitude and colour reproduction (particularly on skintones) and to a slightly lesser extent it's about the ergonomics of operating the camera. Alexa had a clear edge on these fronts compared to Epic with the MX sensor. Dragon levels the playing field substantially, so I think we'll see things start to change as people come to realise that.

As to the point on people being 'tricked' by Arri's '4k' claims. I think that has nothing to do with Arri's idea of what '4k' is, and everything to do with making the Alexa family of cameras compliant with the 4k requirements of companies like Netflix so that the DoPs who prefer that camera can continue using it on shows that have that requirement.

 

[Christoffer Glans]

The resolution argument is really misguided, though. 2.8K raw resolves as well as 35mm film.

It's still not 4K, it's upscaled images. I can create the best algorithm in the world for upscaling but it will always try to create pixels where there are none.

Most features are still released in 2k with 2k vfx work and while 4k film scans are possible for remasters (and preferable due to the need to avoid aliasing), remastering 2k digital video and redoing vfx sequences is cost prohibitive.

But we are not in the yesterday. 4K is beginning to pop up as consumer screens, Ultra HD is the new standard that will be the master format for years to come. What I also meant is that the 2K or 1080p masters made from the great films shot on Alexa will always be 1080p and will never look as good as they could have on a 4K screen.

You cannot argue that because we do something today in 2K we will always do it and it's viable for Arri to once again release a camera with the same resolution sensor. It's ridiculous that they did that and called it a 4K camera. The industry moves forward and there's much more interest in 4K and UHD masters today than even a year ago. Imagine a year from now when the Arri Mini's are used on a broader scale? Who will be the winners? The ones with true 4K delivery or the upscaling ones?

You can only fool the masses to a certain extent until they realize the trick.

A large percentage of DoPs shooting on Alexa these days were 'Panavision Guys' when it came to film cameras.

As to the point on people being 'tricked' by Arri's '4k' claims. I think that has nothing to do with Arri's idea of what '4k' is, and everything to do with making the Alexa family of cameras compliant with the 4k requirements of companies like Netflix so that the DoPs who prefer that camera can continue using it on shows that have that requirement.

Panavision didn't bring a digital cinema camera to the market which was able to reproduce the workflow and close resemblance to film colors as Arri did. These DOP's had 1 camera to choose if they were to make an easy jump from film to digital. Red was harder on those who worked with film before.

As to the point on people being 'tricked' by Arri's '4k' claims. I think that has nothing to do with Arri's idea of what '4k' is, and everything to do with making the Alexa family of cameras compliant with the 4k requirements of companies like Netflix so that the DoPs who prefer that camera can continue using it on shows that have that requirement.

How is upscaling to 4K compliant of 4K requirements? It just sounds like a trick to say a camera is 4K to get companies like Netflix to accept it. Instead of actually doing an 35mm 4K camera they just brand their 2.8K camera as a 4K camera. That's just a marketing stunt fooling companies instead of actually delivering true 4K and in my opinion that's just stupid.

 

[sam karr]

Arri has a great sensor, with fat pixels, and the best colors you can get with digital. I don't understand the bashing here. They can easily go into the resolution race, with smaller pixels, huge sensor or whatever, but they are just offering the product that the majority of filmmakers want. Smaller pixels and they would lose what make their awesome image. Bigger sensors with the same pixel size and they are out of S35. People want an organic feel, sharp but not too sharp, crazy colors, ease of use, S35 to fit with what they already have. And Arri is winning. Red cameras are great of course, but I'm a bit sad to see the "shot on red" list slowing down totally on red.com. Some products failed by being launched to early in the history. 4K is nice, but only early adopters bought 4K TVs until now, and apart from pixels peepers, the audience will not see the difference between 3.2k and 4k, especially if the image looks gorgeous. Arri just wants to give people what they want. At Red they don't want to follow, they want to lead and impose what they think will be the future, and they are stubborn with that. They are probably right as they can't really fight on the same field as Arri, they have to find their specificity which are resolution, size and obsolescence obsolete. Most people don't care about having 6,7 or 8k unfortunately, major photographers did not trade their hasselblad for Reds, and the size of the red had always been a debate here. About obsolescence, Arri still have the same sensor which is fantastic, and have online upgrades which bring more resolution now and other functionnalities + the possibility to unlock the camera for a week to it's full power for 200 euros if we don't want to pay the expensive model at first. Some can criticize that but I personally think it's great. I guess it's a tough time for Red, choosing a direction and a positioning for the next years. I really hope they will come out with something. Maybe by letting down the macho marketing if they want to expand. Alexa is a female name. And Arri's teams are faceless. A big part of the bashing from others is about the guys at Red, the products names. Maybe their is some jealousy and bro competition feelings toward the brand that doesn't exist with a female camera and anonymous mute people behind.
Red is trying to have the same strategy as Apple I think. Closed system. Innovation. But Apple has some sort of "universal" marketing behind. When everybody stole from them (Apple stole from the others too) and some made better phones, they still have the design, the ease of use and the marketing which can please anybody on the planet, male or female, from any religion, poor or rich. If Steve Jobs wore military boots and camouflage clothes at keynote instead of sneakers or sandals it would have been a different story I'm sure. Red's marketing is a bit tough. Just look at the Weapon name threads. A majority of red owners, themselves, do not share the positioning marketing choices from the brand. What about the others then?

 

[Christoffer Glans]

But 4K is coming, it's not that it's here and it missed the point, it's growing every day. One or two years from now 4K will be even less "special", four years from now it might even be the standard as we view 1080p today. I don't want to make movies for yesterday, I want to make something that will last longer and 4K delivery lasts longer.

They can easily go into the resolution race, with smaller pixels, huge sensor or whatever, but they are just offering the product that the majority of filmmakers want.

Seriously? The majority? Do you think that the biggest movies made are the majority of films made in the world? Also, Arri already have a bigger sensor, the Arri 65, so they aren't "avoiding the game" so to speak.

the audience will not see the difference between 3.2k and 4k, especially if the image looks gorgeous.

You miss the point that having a pixel mapped resolution delivery as a delivery format is giving a better looking image. Color theory applies to this, read up on debayering.
Scale up an Alexa image to a 4K screen and then downscale Dragon 6K to a 4K screen with a similar grade and you will not think the same about Alexa.

the size of the red had always been a debate here.

Except Arri just released the mini, which replicates the scale of the Epic... so... should they start debating to about scale?

4K is nice, but only early adopters bought 4K TVs until now, and apart from pixels peepers, the audience will not see the difference between 3.2k and 4k

But they will, just as they now see the difference between SD and HD. People adjust their experience based on what they know and what they have experience with in the past. They might have a difficult time seeing a difference now, but they will see a difference. They will also have a much better sense of the difference when screens grow large and thin and can be hanged on the wall without taking up much space.

It's maybe time to stop living in the past and see what will be in 5 years time. What camera will give you the best tools to keep your art in the best shape for as long as you can?

...also, I think the F65 from Sony blows Alexa out of the water when it comes to colors.