American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1963)

GENERAL VIEW OF sound stage during progress of shooting scenes on a key set for "The Defenders." Operator Rayhack, perched atop ladder, pre¬ pares to shoot wide-angle view of scene. Note 2nd camera at right. and his crew are shooting on another a few feet away. When the previous location is wrapped up, Hartzband, his crew of assistant cameraman Felix Trimboli and operator Michael Rayhack come in and rehearse the next scene with director and actors. Hartzband lights the scene, arranges with the di¬ rector for camera angles, composition, and camera movement (of which there is a great deal). The large number of moving camera shots, which either begin or end in extreme closeups or may include several completely different angles and setups, re¬ quire considerable planning. Lighting must be perfect for every phase of the move and for each position at which the camera comes to rest. (One shot two minutes long can take the crew one hour to light and rehearse, and then be in the can in just two takes.) The average number of takes on one scene varies with director and actor. It is usually less than three but sometimes runs up to seven. The fact that Hartzband is able to plan camera work on a scene and then leave the rest to assistant Trimboli and operator Rayhack makes for a saving of time. “With anyone else I’d have to be in there all the time. Felix and Mike are about the best in New York and can handle follow-focus shots effortlessly,” said Hartzband. Crew coordination is so high that often a scene can be “rehearsed on film.” A meeting of one or two hours with the director on the day before shooting of each episode begins is the only forwarning Hartzband is given of the problems the story’s photography will present. Eastman Double-X negative is used both indoors and out. Hartzband rates Double-X at 200 footcandles under tungsten illumination and exposes at f/7. On location he rates the film at the recom¬ mended 250 ASA, and almost always uses a 60% neutral density filter. Until recently, Plus X had been used indoors and DuPont Superior 2 outdoors. Hartzband has made the switch due to the “finegrain, better gray gradation and generally better quality of Double-X. The speed has little to do with it, in fact Double-X is a little too fast for daylight, which is why we use neutral density filters outdoors, as a rule.” Each day’s footage is processed at Pathe Labs; rushes are viewed there the following day by Hartz¬ band, the director, one or more crew members and editor Sid Katz. Editing is done in Plautus Produc¬ tions’ editing rooms at Pathe. Sound for The Defenders is recorded on quarterinch magnetic tape. Recordist is Arty Bloom. In the studio an Ampex recorder is used, operating independently of the camera; on location Bloom uses a Nagra recorder with sync-signal interlock. Jack C. Jacobsen is chief sound engineer. Cinematic Style An Important Factor The factors which make filming of The Defenders a technically unique operation deal with the pro¬ gram’s particular style. The great number of mo¬ bile-camera shots combined with frequent closeups, which are either cut in on or arrived at through camera movement, call for an unusually great deal of planning. The action on every set is photographed not only in master composition and then closeup on each participating character, but also a variety Continued on Page 425 MORRIS HARTZBAND, ASC, who directs the photography of "The De¬ fenders,” is veteran with 32 years experience behind motion picture cameras. He has been photographing "The Defenders" since its in¬ ception. Below is assistant cameraman Felix Trimboli. AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER, JULY, 1963 401