By Jack Messitt, SOC
Sons of Anarchy is an adrenalized, darkly humorous drama starring Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal and Ron Pearlman. The one hour episodic airing on FX follows a notorious outlaw motorcycle club’s intent on protecting the simple, sheltered town of Charming, Calif. from advancing drug dealers and local corporate developers.
To help define the visual language of the show’s first season, producers brought in veteran Cinematographer Paul Maibaum (Samantha Who, My Boys).
“The executives liked what they did visually on the pilot (shot by Jonathan freeman and Ed Pei),” says Maibaum. “So my job was to emulate that look for them; dark and edgy. The majority of the show is handheld and the bottom line is speed.”
To help him with this task, Maibaum brought in David Frederick, SOC (My Boys, Women’s Murder Club) on the A-camera [after Mike Rintoul, who operated the pilot, had left for another project] and Steve Fracol, SOC (Land of the Lost, Tyson) for B-camera and steadicam.
“SOA is a very physical show,” admits Fracol. “We are handheld with a 150mm one second, steadicam the next. Then you’ll find yourself on the geared head. There is no specific lens this show uses. It really covers the whole map.”
“It is not the kind of show where every shot looks planned out and choreographed,” Maibaum describes. “It has more of a freeform quality to it, almost to the point of documentary. We are in there with the people discovering what is going on as they are discovering it. But this type of shooting makes this a real challenge for our operators.”
“Because Steve and I are both steadicam operators,” explains Frederick. “We are always willing to move. We are used to adjusting during a take to make shots work. And because we are handheld, we can hunt for new opportunities in the third or forth take, knowing full well that we got a great performance out of take one and two. We just ease over or move to swingles. Sometimes we’ll pop out to a wider lens. When you are handheld, you seem to fall into more opportunities than if you were stuck on a dolly. If only the cameras weren’t as heavy as they are…”
“Again, speed is the key to this show,” says Maibaum. “By going handheld, we can just get in there and get the shot done without worrying about fitting the dolly into these tight spaces. But going handheld also adds to the nature of a lot of our scenes. The intensity of it all. A certain uncomfortable feeling.
“At other times, depending on the nature of the scene, it is not appropriate. For instance, when we work on our hospital set, we quiet the camera down to help convey the safety of that environment. But in the Sons of Anarchy clubhouse, out on the road and in the rest of the world they control by the nature of who they are, the handheld adds a gritty nature, an edginess and rough quality that adds to who these guys are.
“SOA wants to look slightly unconventional, so we can take more chances. The handheld wants to be bumpy and edgy. We crowd the frame and shortsight often. It is ok to be messy. Someone’s mouth can be hidden for a minute and you can lose someone’s eyes for a beat or two. All that makes the visuals more interesting to me.”
“We do a lot of work on long lenses while handheld,” says Frederick. “So you work really hard to control your breathing so you don’t see every heartbeat, every breath, every pulse. But there are times when I hear, ‘Liven it up a bit’ because a move was too smooth. As an operator, you strive to perfect every move, but the look of this show is a little harder edged. The style is not looking for finesse. It takes the lens and focus correction and makes them part of the show. So we keep things a little more active a lot of the time.”
“We bring in the steadicam when handheld movement in the shot would become more annoying then pictorially satisfying,” explains Maibaum. “But I do not mind shooting a master on the steadicam and moving in for coverage handheld at the same time. Even if it’s dirty and the operator is trying to find that hole to grab a shot, it all works. It’s almost as if there are no rules. But that feeds into the nature of the show itself.
“I let the operators know what I do not want them to photograph. Be it for a technical reason or because of a storytelling element that we want to withhold from the audience. Outside of that, I like to give my operators the freedom to discover. The way I like to work with my operators on a daily basis is to get to a point where we can talk through the shots as quickly as possible. I want them to be listening to the director, listening to me. And after they see the marking rehearsal, they will know what is going on.”
“During marking rehearsals, I keep my eyes on Paul,” says Fracol. “He is a lot like a director in that he is a very good storyteller. He’ll give us very specific notes as to camera angle with his director’s finder. We mark that and when we get the frame up with the camera, we’ll make corrections as needed. Not only for the first set-up, but from take to take. We’re always improving the shot, always trying to find a way to make it better. Paul is very accepting to any suggestion that make the shot better.”
“After a marking rehearsal with the first team,” Frederick describes, “we do what we can with the stand ins. But this is never all that accurate. We have a large pool of actors on our show, but we have a limited pool of stand ins. So, often, they do not match gender, size, height or race… So when first team comes onto the set, everything is different. And we typically roll on rehearsals, so we are kept on our toes.“
“Actors,” adds Maibaum, “if they know it is a rehearsal, do not usually give a full performance. But when they know that the camera is rolling, they get to the level they are supposed to be at. That impacts everything so you might as well see it the way it is going to be. And… We always get take two.”
“The longer I am an operator,” says Frederick, “the less I worry about rehearsals. All the details that I used to need just so… they are much less precious. Trying to build a shot to perfection with stand ins is often a waste of time because they are not the one performing when the camera is rolling. Sometimes it’s best to just let things unfold in front of the camera. Not locking yourself in to a specific framing allows you to be much more inventive in the moment. As long as there is an opportunity for another take if we need it, whatever works best for the director is what is best for the show. The paramount job as the camera operator is to tell the story through the director’s vision. We work specifically for the DP, but in the end, we are all there to serve the story through the director’s eyes.”
“Directors like to capture that first moment,” explains Fracol. “They like it fresh. So while I like getting a rehearsal, we usually do not get one. But the cast is great is working with us, allowing the operators to help make a shot better. They are very respectful of what we are bringing to the show. They understand that when we are moving marks, it is for the betterment of the shot.
“When we go for it without a rehearsal, our focus pullers on 150mm aren’t getting one either. Hats off to to veteran AC Steve Peterson and his crew: (Darrick Akey, Dave Mun and Mike TyCahoon). These guys are working hard on every setup, every shot. It is not an easy show. They are working right up to the last second to get whatever marks they can and a lot of the time are just plain winging it. Sometimes there are happy accidents and sometimes we will have to do it again. But everyone knows that going in.”
“Because we do a lot of handheld,” Maibaum explains, “we are much less structured than a lot of shows. There is a lot of room for our operators to make a shot as the scene is developing.”
“Knowing the editorial style of the show really helps,” says Frederick. “You remember that you are shooting for the cut. Your shot does not run for the entire scene. So you are really shooting for the editor. You try to think how they are going to cut into your shot. You make sure that you don’t force a cut and make sure that they can play something as long as they might need it.
“Especially since we run two cameras, there will almost always be intercutting, so it is not like one take is precious. They will always have choices. That is the limitation of not rehearsing, but they know that and understand when things are not perfect on take one.”
“Dave and I are working together,” says Fracol. “We are very conscious of each other’s shot. When I am carrying the master on the steadicam and he is in for coverage on a 75mm, I say ‘does it hurt you if I’m here.’ He’ll guide me in to where I can be or vice versa. We really work as a team to get the very best out of both cameras.”
“When we do another take, it is rarely because of the technical,” adds Frederick. “That is because we are surrounded by a great team. I have a great dolly grip in Jeff Douglas. He is anticipatory and very proactive. We work as a team and can pull off whatever is asked for.”
“If I pay attention,” says Douglas, “if I can make the operator’s job easier, the ACs job any easier, then I have done my job. When I hit my marks and adjust to an actor not hitting theirs, we don’t have to do an extra take. I never want the camera department and dolly grip to be the reason we aren’t making our day.”
Digital capture on Panavision’s Genesis system was chosen before Maibaum joined the show, mainly as a format that would conform to an AFTRA contract. Because SOA started shooting just before the end of the SAG contract, this move ensured the studio that they would not be shut down by any potential strike.
“For my money,” says Maibaum, “the Genesis is the best large format video camera out there. The 35mm sized capture chip allows us to get a really nice theatrical look with a shallow depth of field.”
“The picture from the Genesis is great, says Fracol.” “But ironically, I don’t always view the picture in HD on my “High Def” Steadicam rig.” When I use the NTSC down-converted signal I can still use my on screen level and framelines which prove to be very helpful for many shots, but when I use the HDSDI signal I have no on screen level or framelines.”
But this NTSC down-converted “solution” comes with a drawback.
“When go to my standard def LCD, explains Fracol, “the combination between the latency in the LCD monitor and the frame delay in the down-conversion create a significant time lapse. It could be up to 5 frames. So if I am chasing action or something fast, I’ll go back to the HD monitor because of the REAL TIME viewing. It is a give and take. This is where the camera technology has been slow to trickle down to all the accessories.”
In order to have on-set HD monitors for Maibaum and the director, the Genesis camera is attached to a cable.
“Operating while cabled is an adjustment,” says Fracol. “Having a cable while flying a 75mm lens on the steadicam is not fun at all. At times, we do fly with the recording deck attached, allowing us to be untethered. But at 65-70 pounds, it’s really heavy. So I’ve gotten adjusted to the cable. I’ve learned how I like to drape the cable in order to pull off what I need to do. I’ve learned to adjust the loop so it doesn’t tug too much and what size works for particular shots. For some shots, the loop is tight. Others require a larger loop. There is a learning curve to it.”
“The orientable viewfinder on the Genesis is critical, says Frederick, “especially when working on a geared head. Because it is modeled after their Panaflex line, Panavision got it right with the Genesis. I can expand or contract the viewfinder to wherever I need it to go. Having said that, I would prefer an optical viewing system. Even with the peaking up, it is difficult to tell critical focus in the viewfinder. So judging focus, a job that I would normally take responsibility for, is handed off to the DP and DIT. Paul and Andy will radio to the ACs with these types of issues.
“We made an adjustment to the A-camera so I don’t have to push down on the eyepiece to open the douser. I found it difficult to operate with it in some situations. And since this is video, I do not need to keep my eye to the eyepiece to stop the picture from fogging. In doing this, we removed the LCD’s sun safety, so we are really careful when shooting exteriors not to point the eyepiece toward the sky unless we have it covered.
“As a steadicam operator, I am very open to using a monitor to judge composition. So sometimes I pull the eyepiece off and use the LCD by itself, especially on low angle shots.”
“We originally started the show with primes, explains Fracol. “But as the show progressed, we started to shoot more and more pages each day. So Paul moved to Panavision’s 27-68 and 17-34 Lightweight Zooms. They are our workhorse lenses and we use them as variable primes. This has saved us an enormous amount of time.
“Very rarely do we use them as a traditional zoom. We will occasionally hide a zoom within a shot or pull out to adjust, but they have become a real asset to time and speed. With the Preston remote focus always on the camera, we are always ready. When we were using primes, this took some time when changing lenses. But now that we are primarily on the short zooms, it is a lot faster.”
Sons of Anarchy splits its time about evenly from stage to location.
“This works out pretty well, says Frederick. “Just as soon as you are sick of being in the studio, you get to go out. Then, when you are exhausted from being out, you get to go back to the set.”
“Personally, I love to get off the stage, adds Fracol. “I love going on location and seeing something new. I love the challenge of it. But location work is always challenging. And when you multiply that with the number of pages we cover in any given day, throw in a company move in the middle, and it can be a real handful.
“Bobby Thomas and his grip crew, (Jeff Douglas, Tony Caldwell, Frank Orozco, Chris Reid, Dejon Ellis, Bernie Horn-Bostel and Gerhan Buggs) are always at the ready with a wind break for me or to build a ramp when we are flying the steadicam. They always come through for me which is a big deal. A five mile an hour wind wisp of wind can totally ruin your day as a steadicam operator. It doesn’t sound like much, but even a small wind shift can kill your horizon.”
To help discover better ways to operate, Fracol records his steadicam rehearsals on his rig.
“Watching the playback during the reset,” says Fracol, “I can see issues and where I can make myself better. I’ll see where I can adjust an actor’s position to help me execute the shot. Recording allows me to fix problems before we are rolling.
“And to help my operating, I always drop vector marks to give me, not only the end position, but show me where to start ramping down the steadicam shot. It gives me a heads up to where I should start slowing down in order to land with some finesse.
“Working a show like SOA is tough. As an operator, you really have to stay in good shape! An out of shape operator would not last on this show. Operators are always asked to put our bodies in odd, uncomfortable positions to get shots, but I have never worked on a show like this, where I consistently find myself pushed to my physical limits.”
Over the course of the first few episodes, ACs Steve Peterson and Dave Mun built custom carts to help specifically with the Genesis system.
“This has shaved an enormous amount time and energy from moving from spot to spot,” says Fracol. “And to help with the logistical challenges, I have my steadicam cart was build with speed in mind. All my gear is with me all the time. So when they need it, we are ready. And at the end of the day, I can be packed up and ready to move in less than fifteen minutes.”
“There are no new to the business people here, says Frederick. “From the ACs to the operators to the DP, the electricians and grips, they are very experienced. Equipment is placed well the first time. It seems to drop in the right place and out of frame. That comes from experience and good leadership from Paul. He knows exactly what works and what is fast. He is really fast and has amazing focus. This is a seven day show for an hour of television. That leaves a lot to do every day, especially with company moves.”
“Our biggest challenge, explains Maibaum, “is to finish the amount of work that we have to get done in the amount of time we are given. It is an hour long show and we have a seven day schedule. This type of show would typically have eight or nine days. And more than just that, the studio has given us a finite number of hours that we can shoot. And this is not for budgetary reasons, but for all of our safety. We do not want to overwork our crew.”
“Coming from a feature background, says Fracol, “the pace of this show is a lot faster than I am used to. Shooting six to eight pages a day is a lot. Accomplishing that in less than fourteen hours while keeping the quality where it is is a testament to Paul.”
“Another challenge is the amount of people in each scene,” says Maibaum. “There are nine guys in the gang and oftentimes we have six to eight people in a given scene. This means that you have to cover it. And the nature of the writing creates a lot of small scenes. And regardless of the number of people involved, a shot is a shot. Each new scene needs to have the cameras placed, needs to be blocked, lit and shot out. It still takes a certain amount of time to complete it and this adds to our limited schedule. So the biggest challenge is to get the shots done and making it look right within the schedule that we have.”
“This show is not about glamour lighting, adds Frederick. “It’s a little more down and dirty. It’s about a bunch of guys on motorcycles. That opens up a lot of opportunity for us to shoot angles that you might normally avoid.”
“When it comes to the lighting, says Maibaum, “I try to see it all in my head first, but I rely a lot on Tony Anderson, my chief lighting technician, to help me. Again, it all comes down to the most effective way to tell the story within the time constraints of the schedule.”
“Paul is not afraid to go to the dark side with these cameras, says Fracol. “He and Tony make a great team. Operating at those levels is not a problem because of the Genesis. You can tweak the viewfinder to see into the shadows. That is one of the advantages to video.”
“The gang’s clubhouse and ‘Chapel’ (meeting room) are my favorite standing sets,” says Maibaum, “We keep it dark in there regardless of the time of day. It is where they hang out, where a lot of exposition takes place. But they are all crowded around a beautiful table with the Sons of Anarchy logo carved into it. The guys are all smoking cigars and cigarettes in there, so it gets all smoky and makes it fun to light.
“And because we concentrate on getting close ups in there, we make them ‘dirty’ close-ups. A lot of profile shots, shooting through elbows, crowded frames. And the actors have such great faces that it is really fun to watch.”
“The Genesis has proved to be really fast outside, says Frederick. “With Andy Lemmon, our DIT, we have pulled off some really big iris pulls with the remote. He can really make them invisible, whether it is steadicam from interior to an exterior or bringing someone from deep shadow into the sun. It really works.
“The only real drawback is that, because it is video, you need power in order to truly set up a shot. An optical eyepiece would be pretty handy.”
Being a Motorcycle gang, shots on the road were critical.
“I went out as a second unit DP and shot a full day of driving, from sun up to well past sun down,” says Frederick. “Our camera car is a motorcycle with a sidecar, says Frederick. “The sidecar can go on either side of the motorcycle and stunt driver Steve Holladay is picture perfect for films. He knows exactly what the lenses see. With this rig, we pulled off some really exciting shots – from handheld to low angle mounts.”
“But we are not shooting a Harley Davidson commercial here,” says Maibaum. “The show is not about how these guys get from one place to another on their bikes. It is about their lives and most of their lives take place off their bikes. That is what we concentrate on. How they survive. How they interact with the people of the town. The conflicts that arise from the fact that they are who they are. They are bikers, bad boys. But even with all that you need to want to invite them into your home every week.”
“I have the best crew in Hollywood,” Maibaum adds. “I feel very fortunate that I have the crew that I have. To have a crew that works as hard as they do, that are as focused on the show as they are, is what makes this show as good as it is.
“Ultimately, I want to see shots as if I operated them myself. But ninety nine percent of the time, I need an operator to get that done. The job of a director of photography and that of an Operator are two distinct positions. An operator is somebody that can concentrate on executing the shot. And there are a lot of elements to contend with. There is the dolly, working with the dolly grip, the focus puller, equipment in the frame… It is a full time job that demands constant attention. Before the shot, during the shot and analyzing the shot after they hear cut. Is it good enough? Did you get what you needed or do you have to do it again?
“The director of photography does not have time to do all that and the rest of the things that a DP needs to do. A DP needs to manage the entire camera, grip and electric crews; work with the director about the necessary coverage, working with the ADs to make sure we are on schedule, thinking about the next set we are moving to later that day, evaluating the equipment that will be needed, not only in the next scene, but for next week’s episode.
“No matter how big the show, the DP is constantly looking ahead. It is like a game of chess. You need to be a few moves ahead. There are too many people to coordinate with to make things happen. You cannot do all that and be in the moment to operate the camera well. If an operator starts to look at the lighting too much in the way a DP does, then the shot could be blown because one’s reaction time is compromised due to the fact that one is no longer concentrating on making the shot.
“There are apparently some Directors of Photography out there who can and choose to juggle the two jobs… I am just not one of them.”
“As an operator,” explains Fracol, “it is my job to find the best way to help the DP and director to execute the shot in the most timely manner. In TV, this is especially the case. TV has a timeframe that is not luxurious. If I can find a way for them to cut a corner and save some time, I’ll bring it up.”
“You have to trust that your operators intuitively know what the show is about,” says executive producer Kurt Sutter (The Shield). “They need to know what is important. Our operators have been able to instinctively find those moments for us. You can direct people as much as you can, but when the cameras are rolling, you have to trust their intuitive sense to take over. With our operators, that trust has been rewarded.”