Short notes from "El Premio" Post-Production

by Kaspar Kallas

For DoP Wojciech Staron's, this was the first feature to be shot digitally. We did a 10 minute test to assure the quality of the workflow and the cameras to be used - SI2K. Compiled a list of equipment needed and developed the initial look for the film. 

The production itself was a rude introduction to latin america for me, everything was very slow to start in the morning and always took long hours into the night to finish.

All the film was shot at location in San Clemenete del Tuyu in Argentina.

Major advantage to Iridas tools was instant playback of full 2K footage with initial grade, pan and scan without any sort of rendering, just drop all the last days footage to timeline add keyframes and play.

This was on a laptop system with a firewire disk. When working up to 16h on set as camera assistant, this no render workflow was major help to get at least some sleep.

Also this project was lightspeed post, from the day that DoP arrived from previous shoot in Thailand to the premiere in Berlinale we had exactly 6 days. In this time we had to grade the footage, create DCP with 2 language subtitles, 2 different blueray masters.

As a bonus I had to deliver the DCP two days before screening, so this in turn reduced the post time to 4 days. With all rendering times it left us exactly 2 days to grade 118minute feature film. We setup in Kino Kultura, center of warsaw with Barco digital projection and started grading in standard cinema hall in less than 20 minute setup time. In this way were certain about what we get is what we see.

To help the matters to near insanity, director decided that we should make a different look for the film that we had originally developed, so I had start from scratch and finish in about 20h. I don't know any other tool that would let me move in such speed and mobility, without making compromises in quality.

"El Premio" was awarded Silver Bear for outstanding artistic achievement in camera in Berlinale this year.

Short Notes from "Cave of Forgotten Dreams" Post-production

by Kaspar Kallas

This 3D project by Werner Herzog and DoP Peter Zeitlinger, started for me by a phone call in the late evening offering me a DIT job on SI2K shoot in south of France. I had 10 minutes to decide. The rest is a documentary film…

 

On set Iridas tools were irreplaceable because we lacked proper tools to make this technical very demanding job on the first week of shooting. So there was quite a lot of duct tape and spit solution used to acquire the footage needed. This in turn required good tools for QC, to be certain that we would have something that we can use in a film.

The shooting period was split into two weeks of shooting with week and a half in-between. I used the in-between time to make a very solid side-by-side rig for use inside of the cave. There could be no adjustment screws as they would have become loose when the crew was climbing in and out of the cave. Because of Iridas native support for cineform RAW we could watch the dailies instantly when we left the cave to make necessary adjustments to our gear, workflow or both.

 

On the second week we had 2 sets of cameras, one would reside in the mirror rig while other were used for side by side. So when we needed to change in the interview we would just switch the heads to another setup while keeping the same recorder.

 

The production was extremely fast paced, up to 2h of footage daily. The postproduction was light-speed. I had exactly 2 weeks from the day I got the locked cut to the premiere in Toronto International Film Festival.

About 12minutes of the final 90minute film is non-synced go-pro cameras. I already knew the problem from set, as part of it was shot with one camera upside down the 3D was unwatchable because of rolling shutter tearing the images apart. There really are only 3 possible solutions to the problem today. Try to render a depth map based on original stereographic setup - extremely complicated because of the rolling shutter, compression and lens distortion artifacts. Use bezier shapes to push in or pull out parts of the image. Just use plain 2D slightly pushed into the screen.

 

The last option is worst, because it really pronounces all the problems with 3D cinema and leaves one wonder why to wear those geeky glasses in the first place. The first option was too time consuming and results were not really predictable.

2 days before screening, after 1st pass render I notice a bug, all the frames are not the correct frame size - a bug in beta version. Iridas was very prompt to deal with the problem in less than 12h I have a new build and everything is on the way again. The final version for the screening in the theater is taken to Toronto by Director himself just hours before screening as we hit another bug, this time in EasyDCP software that was also cleared within hours.

After 2 weeks almost no sleep, the show starts, I can breathe easily - the film is there, everything seems to look correct. 10 minutes before the end of the film the image goes black, sound continues for a moment and then it is stopped. Silence.

It turned out that it was the very first public screening in the Bell Lightbox for digital 3D and somebody had accidentally turned off the the AC for the projector and bulb had overheated.

The golden rule of filmmaking: if something can go wrong, it will go wrong, alligators or no alligators!

Digital Sputnik: The “New” Post-Production

INTRODUCTION
by Dankmar García

I had the opportunity to work with Kaspar Kallas on Argentina last year, during the shooting of the movie “El Premio” (The Prize) by Paula Markovitch. Kaspar is the founder of a very small post-house on Estonia. And by the time we were working on “El Premio” he was finishing the post-production of Werner Herzog’s 3D documentary “Cave of Forgotten Dreams”. Both movies participated on this year’s Berlinale.

Kaspar and his brother Kaur, founded the company 3 years ago. With only 3 employees, they are focused all their efforts on developing new tools and workflows to aid the postproduction so it can be more creative and less technical. With more than 10 years of experience and knowledge applied that go from edition to VFX artistry, they have created a reliable company that is getting closer to what seems to be the future of movie making.

This “New” post, as Kaspar calls it, has a simple premise: a “One man’s” support to the DoP from pre production to the final screening. This would be the only responsible for every step and every decision made on the way, from the picture being recorded to the final output. “Responsibility in this case means if I make a mistake, I have the means to fix this situation down the line in production pipeline. So the Producer, Director and DoP have only one person to deal with: Me. No meetings. No blame game.” says Kaspar.

The “New” Post
by Kaspar Kallas

There is actually nothing new about having a small and effective team for filmmaking. Then again it has always been a compromise of tools and possibilities. It has more to-do with quality and technology access, rather than innovation.

Technology keeps marching on and there is nothing new about that either. The only thing that keeps chaining is the time window of professional to prosumer. The tools that are bleeding edge in a moment are already in prosumer access within months of initial release in the highest end software/hardware. Then again there are some tools that are never available for highness systems.

Access to tools does not separate professionals anymore. Once again the industry is calling out for Hero's, artist who are capable moving fast and efficiently in post-production pipeline (Hero suite, used to be very expensive hardware and software combination used for film and television finishing by a Hero who is very capable in editing, coloring and mastering). Only this time the lines between production phases are even more blurred. The artist will have to leave the comfortable settings of a studio and take part of pre-production and production itself.

Throughout filmmaking there have been different technicians on set to assist DoP. But it has never been unthinkable that DoP cannot take care of all the responsibilities on his own. For a short period of time it was color technician who was the exception to prove the rule. Now with the advent of digital film cameras and stereography once again technician have temporarily forced their way into mandatory part of the camera team.

There is a very principle reason why the technicians job fades away in time. DoP responsibility is to create the most memorable images anyone can imagine. Technicians job on the other hand is to make sure that the images do not stand out in any way. So for the sake of creative freedom DoP needs an artist as assistant rather than technician to tell what is not technically correct.

The tools

Most prosumer tools today are very capable of producing content for the highest cinematic standards. Then again I have not found one tool that would suite all the needs for post production, even the highest end tools need assistance. So we developed our own in-house software that would "glue" together all the different pieces.

Iridas Speedgrade and Metarender: very intuitive and easy to use grading software with support next to none. There is no special hardware requirements for full technical support. Command-line rendering is very important for integrating to in-house software. As an extra perk, one can easily drive cinema projector over SDI for final work in any Digital Cinema theater. Most importantly it will work with most of the media I get directly without any conversion or import procedure.

Iridas tools are central for our workflow, because it will be the first thing to decode any incoming material, prepare dpx files for compositing and effects and also the final step to finish grading, before rendering out J2C files for digital cinema masters.

I use one computer to run all processes parallel so I could make good use of multi CPU environment. So while 1 pass of metarender is preparing flat grade DPX files for compositing I am grading another part of the film. When DPX files are ready I will to the preparation for camera tracking, for computing time again I can grade next available shot. When processing finishes I will do the composite. All in supervised session.

The glue

The in-house software we use is built on similar notion of Batch in Autodesk products. The software keeps track where the sources are coming from and what procedures have been used on them, so if any compositing, grading, etc. changes are implemented, it will mark the downstream procedures for re-rendering and generates a script for rendering. As all the plugins for different parts are just scripts, it is quite simple and straight forward.

Extra to Iridas tools we use Cineform, FCP, Premiere Pro, Nuke, EasyDCP and Photoshop.

No compromise in quality

Thanks to these tools it is possible for one man to do the extremely technical finishing jobs in unprecedented quality and time frame. The other perk in working with DoP from very early on in the production I know from the first steps on where the film is going aesthetically, so even when picking a camera and lighting equipment DoP can make well informed choice.

When I am on set as second AC, DIT, Stereograopher (or all of the above), I can help to make sure that every step is in the right direction for the end goal. The final finishing becomes just executing the final details rather than trying to bang the footage into something it was never shot for.

“El Premio”: Mayor movilidad (“The Prize”: Greater mobility)

Para la segunda semana de rodaje incluimos en la configuración de la MINiMAC un Follow Focus remoto. Wociejtech quería tener la mayor movilidad posible manteniendo el movimiento fluido de cámara. En algunas tomas en las que se requería correr o movimientos complicados, la primer asistente de cámara podría mantener control total del foco a distancia o estando detrás del fotógrafo para no entorpecer el movimiento. Kaspar quitó el LEMO del cable de poder del Receptor de señal (URM-1) y conectó uno de los Power Taps que nos sobraban para poder proveer de poder a los motores del Follow Focus. De esta manera la MINiMAC, el Follow Focus, los transmisores de HDMI y USB y el sensor reciben el poder de la misma batería.

Se busca para el proyecto realizar un movimiento muy libre, en busca de los recuerdos y sentimientos que a menudo se aparecen como sueños incluso en el mismo set. Nos encontramos componiendo una sinfonía de imágenes libres, basadas en hechos reales, vivencias presentes y recuerdos de la infancia. La cámara viaja libre en los espacios, mitad reales mitad ficticios, capturando fragmentos del mundo de “El premio”. Las imágenes son hermosas. Los sentimientos están contenidos en el encuadre. Y la sensación semi documental impuesta en el estilo de fotografía contrastada con imágenes preciosistas y casi obsesivas, hacen que para muchos el proyecto carezca de sentido.

Será entonces la magia de la edición la que le de vida a esta historia complicada. Cargada de emociones. Donde la narrativa y la visión del Director le den vida a esta obra.

For the second week of shooting we included on the MINiMAC configuration a Remote Follow Focus. Wociejtech wanted to have the greatest possible mobility to maintain a fluid camera movement. In some shots that required to run or complicated movements, the first camera assistant could maintain the control of the focus remotely or being behind the operator without compromising the movement. Kaspar removed the LEMO connector from the power cable for the Signal Receptor (URM-1) and connected one of the Power Taps we had to be able to provide the motors of the Follow Focus with power. This way we were able to power the MINiMAC, the Follow Focus, the transmiters of HDMI and USB and the sensor with the same battery.

They seek for this project to realize a very free movement, seeking for the memories and feelings that sometimes appear on set. We find ourselves composing a symphony of free images, based on real facts, the present and memories of the past. The camera travels free on the rooms, half real half fictions, capturing fragments of “The Price” world. The images are beautiful. The feelings are contained on the frame. The semi documentary sensation enforced on the photography stile contrasted with the beautiful and obsessive images, makes this project to lack of sense for some.

Then it will be the magic of the edition the one that will give life to this complicated story. Charged with emotions, where the narrative style and Directors vision will give life to this piece.

Tech Specs:

• ARRI Remote Reciever and Power for Motors URM-1
• ARRI Focus Motor CLM-2
• ARRI Iris Motor CLM-2
• ARRI Remote WFU-1
• 3 Batteries and Charger

“El Premio” y la SI-2K MINiMAC (“The prize” and the SI-2K MINiMAC)

DIT: Kaspar Kallas
DIT / Cam B Operator: Dankmar García
DMT: José “Chuy” Rodríguez
Información Técnica / Technical Information:
Hasta abajo / At the bottom.

El estilo fotográfico utilizado por Woijcitech para este proyecto es de una naturaleza muy libre y requeríamos la mayor movilidad posible. Usaremos los mismos equipos que en el proyecto de “Tequila”, pero con algunas modificaciones que nos permitan aligerar el sistema lo más posible. Siguiendo la configuración planteada por Danit Sigler en su página (http://www.danitsigler.com/technical-data.html), decidimos utilizar la MAC MINI, ya que nos permitía reducir considerablemente el peso del CPU y adquirir más potencia de procesamiento de datos y video, aumentando las posibilidades de movimiento de Woijcitech. La segunda cámara la cuál yo operaré en algunas escenas, será la SI-2K en su versión DVR completa. Mas información relevante en el foro de DVINFO.NET: http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/silicon-imaging-si-2k/475134-mobile-hardware-recorder-box-si-2k.html

El día que decidimos comprar la MAC MINI, fue el lanzamiento de la nueva versión de dicha computadora y al mismo precio que su predecesora. El futuro parecía prometedor, con un sistema más compacto, más potente y que contaba con la fuente de poder integrada directamente en el sistema. Nuestra alegría se disipó rápidamente al darnos cuenta de que la nueva versión, al tener la fuente de poder integrada directamente dentro del sistema, sería prácticamente imposible proveerla de poder con la batería ya que necesitaría corriente alterna. Afortunadamente el lanzamiento de la nueva MAC MINI en México había sido retrasada un par de semanas en lo que se vendían las versiones anteriores y pudimos conseguir una con eliminador de CA externo.

Con la ayuda de Mikegyver (http://mikegyver.com/) pudimos adaptar un eliminador externo para funcionar con la Gold Mount, añadiendo Power Taps de Anton Bauer para proveer a la MAC MINI con el poder necesario. Si tienen alguna necesidad especifica de poder, no duden en escribirle. Es un gran tipo y hará todo lo posible por ayudarlos a resolver sus problemas. En este caso le mandamos los números de pieza que necesitábamos y después de 30 mails para estar seguros de que todo funcionaría, se encargo de hacer un gran trabajo.

El rig que diseñamos para poner la cámara y la batería (que tiene su base en el sistema MINI RIG de P+S TECHNIK), no pudo ser terminado a tiempo por que el rodaje de “El Premio” se encontraba ya muy cerca, por lo que se quedó en la primera etapa de armado, faltando los dobleces que le darían la forma final.

Todo esto se armó en México dos semanas antes de salir hacia Argentina.

(Dos semanas y 12 hrs de vuelo y 14 hrs de camioneta después…)

Por fin conocí a Kaspar Kallas. Gran tipo también. Llegando al hotel, comenzamos a ver cuales eran nuestras posibilidades juntando los equipos que nosotros llevábamos con todos los que él traía de Estonia.

En la mochila contamos con la MAC MINI a la cual le añadimos un transmisor inalámbrico HDMI y otro USB de Kaspar. Esto nos permite controlar la configuración de cámara y monitorear remotamente. Lo que esta muy bien de la MAC MINI es su capacidad de proveer de dos señales independientes de video (Dualview). Con la salida digital a HDMI mandamos la señal a los monitores y con la salida analógica VGA pudimos también configurar el sistema con el EVF (View Finder Electrónico) en la salida VGA, aprovechando la herramienta del software de la cámara que nos permite mandar señal al EVF (o segundo monitor) sin ningún tipo de menú para no entorpecer la visión del DP.

Una sola batería Anton Bauer provee al SI-2K Sensor, la MAC MINI y los transmisores durante aproximadamente dos horas y media.

La cámara es controlada vía remota a través en otro backpack que contiene otra bateria Anton Bauer, con poder para el receptor HDMI, el receptor USB y el Monitor de pantalla táctil. Esta batería dura aproximadamente 4 horas.

The photographic style used by Woijcitech for this project is of very free nature, so we needed the farthest possible mobility. We will be using the same equipment that in “Tequila”, but with some modifications that will allow us to make the system the most lightly possible. Using the technical information posted by Danit Sigler on his page (http://www.danitsigler.com/technical-data.html), we decided to use the MAC MINI that allowed us to considerably reduce the weight of the CPU, acquiring more data and video processing power, raising the movement possibilities of Woijcitech. The second camera, the one that I will be operating for some scenes, will be the SI-2K on its FULL DVR version. More relevant information on the DVINFO.NET: http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/silicon-imaging-si-2k/475134-mobile-hardware-recorder-box-si-2k.html

The day that we decided to buy the MAC MINI, was the launching of the new version of that computer and at the same price that the older version. The future looked promising with a smaller and faster system that had the power integrated directly inside. Our joy soon disappeared when we realized that the new version, having the power eliminator inside, would be impossible to mod in time for the shooting. Fortunately, the new version of the MAC MINI had been delayed a couple of weeks while all the older versions were sold, so we could get our hands on one that still has the external AC eliminator.

With Mikegyvers help (http://mikegyver.com/) we managed to adapt a car AC power eliminator to work with the Gold Mount, putting an Anton Bauer Power Tap to provide the MAC MINI with the necessary power. If you have any specific power need, don’t doubt to write him. He is a great guy and will try to do anything in his hands to solve your problem. We just send him the piece numbers we needed and after 30 mails just to be sure everything worked fine, he did a great job.

The rig that was designed so we can use de camera and the battery (that was based on the MINI RIG from P+S TECHNIK), was not finished in time for the shooting of “The Prize” because it was too close. It is on its first stage of assembling, just missing the bending that would give the final shape.

Everything was put together two weeks before going out to Argentina.

(Two weeks, 12 hrs of flight and 14 hrs of road later…)

Finally I meet Kaspar Kallas. Great guy too. Arriving to the hotel, we started to figure out what were our possibilities getting together our equipment and the equipment he took from Estonia.

On the backpack we have the MAC MINI with a Wireless USB and a Wireless HDMI transmitter from Kaspar. This allows us control the camera config and video assist remotely. What is really good about the MAC MINI is its capacity to provide of two independent video signals (Dualview). With the digital HDMI output we send the signal to the monitors (Wireless) and with the analog VGA output we were able to configure the system with the EVF. Then we could use the DVR software tool that allows the camera to send the signal to the EVF (or second monitor) clear or without any menu that could bother the DP vision.

Whit just one Anton Bauer battery, we could be able to give the MAC MINI, the transmitters and the SI-2K Sensor with power for about two hours and a half.

The camera is controlled wirelessly through another backpack that has another Anton Bauer to give power to the HDMI receptor, the USB receptor and the Touchscreen Monitor. This battery lasts 4 hours aprox.

Especificaciones Técnicas / Tech Specs:
SI-2K MINI Sensor

• MINI Base Plate
• Ergonomic Handle with EVF mount
• MNI Shoulder Pad
• Hand Grip Extensions
• Normal Hand Grip
• Hand Grip with Start/Stop
• PL Mount
• 2m cable LEMO to ETHERNET
• MINI Battery Holder Rig
• Hytrion 140 Anton Bauer Batteries

MAC MINI

• 2.53 GHz Inter Core 2 Duo
• 4GB de RAM DDR3
• NVidia GeForce 9400M 256 MB shared with main memory.
• 350 HDD GB 5400 RPM
• MINI DVI to DVI converter
• MINI Display Port to VGA converter
• 18.5 V AC converter with AB Power Tap (Mikegiver)
• 5 USB connectors
• Firewire 800
• Ethernet 10/100/1000

Accesorios Adicionales / Additional Accesories

• EVF PS+TECHNIK (Electronic View Finder) VGA 800x600 Resolution
• 18.5” Samsung 933 HD plus Sync Master
• GEFEN TV Wireless for HDMI One Transmiter / Two Recievers
• GEFEN Wireless USB Transmiter/Reciever
• Manhattan LCD 8.5” Monitor HDMI TouchScreen

“El Premio” (The prize)

www.elpremio.com.mx
Dir.: Paula Markovitch
Prod: Pablo Boneu / Izrrael
DOP: Woijcitech Staron




Inicio de rodaje / Shooting start: 19/07/2010
Loc: San Clemente de Tuyu, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Esta película se está rodando actualmente en Argentina, en un pequeño pueblo llamado “San Clemente del Tuyu” que se encuentra en la desembocadura del Río de la Plata con el Atlántico. El primer acercamiento que tuve a este proyecto fue hace unas semanas, pero realmente pareciera como si hubiera sido hace meses. Todo fue muy rápido y ahora me encuentro a 3600 km de casa. Nunca creí llegar a conocer Argentina de esta manera, pero pensándolo bien, he conocido y viajado a muchos lugares gracias a mi trabajo.

La historia sucede en los 70’s y es la autobiografía de la Directora, la cual sucede durante su infancia. Estamos en el pueblo en el cual sucedió originalmente la historia y todo se mezcla con fuertes emociones. Ahora, la gente que fueron sus compañeros de clase, han crecido, y traer este proyecto hasta aquí, ha revivido recuerdos perdidos pero también heridas profundas…

Cuando Pablo me habló por primera vez, realmente no sabía en que tipo de proyecto me estaba metiendo. Ahora, la razón no importa más. Estoy realmente agradecido de haber sido invitado a este proyecto y de tener la oportunidad de ayudar a volverlo realidad.

La pequeña niña que le da vida a la joven Paula da sus primeros pasos en la actuación y la cámara la adora. Existe un lazo entre ambas Paulas. Cuando la pequeña Paula mira hacia la cámara y Paula hacia el monitor, la podemos ver soñando despierta su historia. Casi se puede sentir el pasado cobrando vida.

Los fragmentos de la historia han comenzado a tomar su lugar.

This movie is now being shot in Argentina, in a little town named “San Clemente del Tuyu”, located on the outfall of the Rio de la Plata that ends on the Atlantic. The first approach I had to the movie was some weeks ago, and now feels like months ago. It went to fast. Now I’m 3600 km away from home. I never thought that I would come to know Argentina this way, but thinking about it, I have traveled and known many places thanks to my work.

The story takes place on the 70’s, and is the autobiography of the Director, taking her back to her childhood. With very strong emotions, we are on the town where the story originally happened. Now, the people that were her school classmates are grown up, and bringing the project here has opened lost memories and also deep wounds...

When Pablo first called me, I didn’t knew what kind of project I was getting into. Now, the reason is not important anymore. I’m really glad to have been invited to this project and having the oportunity to help to make it come true.

The little girl that gives life to young Paula is makng his first steps into acting and the camera loves her. There is a bond between both Paula’s. When young Paula looks into the camera and Paula into the monitor, we can see her daydreaming her story, and you could almost feel the past coming alive.

The fragments of the story have just began to come into place.