PSU4 debuts on set
The 2016 Battle of Mosul, which took back control of that Iraqi city from ISIS, is chronicled in a new film directed by Matthew Michael Carnahan and shot by director of photography Mauro Fiore, ASC. In its review of City of a Million Soldiers (formerly Mosul) from the Toronto International Film Festival, Variety noted that Fiore’s “fervent, explosive handheld cinematography has undeniable visceral impact.”
For their depiction of urban warfare, Carnahan and Fiore started by surveying the current state of documentary filmmaking, finding that the imagery is not as rough-and-tumble these days. “They’re quite good in terms of quality,” says Fiore. “They use HD cameras, and even though you’re in dangerous situations, the images themselves are rich and exposed properly. They seem to be done in a more photographic way than they used to be.”
That realization sparked a re-evaluation. “I thought that for City of a Million Soldiers, we should always shoot two cameras handheld with zoom lenses, so we could interact with the actors. Instead of acting to the cameras, the camera is reacting to their actions. Rather than bombard the scene, we wanted the actors to be as free as possible.”
City of a Million Soldiers was Carnahan’s directorial debut, and he eagerly sought Fiore’s involvement in aesthetic decisions. The camera team worked with two Arri Alexa Mini cameras, chosen in part for their light weight and usually fitted with Fujinon Cabrio 19-90 mm zooms. The aspect ratio of 16x9 was chosen to echo the frame of most TV documentaries.
The production was mounted in Morocco, where the distance from main production centers was a concern initially – until Fiore visited Vantage Paris.
“I had a great trip to Vantage, where they showed me so many different sets of lenses,” says Fiore. “We were able to photograph with them in an entire testing environment where I could actually project footage. Vantage was so supportive to me and to the photography of the project, giving me anything I needed. That was a big help as we were finding our way to the look of the film, even into the first week of shooting. Working with them was an incredible experience.”
In testing, Fiore saw the unique VantageOne T1 lenses, which in addition to their eye-popping speed, offer a variety of textures and personalities depending on the stop. Eventually, he used the T1s in the film’s opening sequence. “The depth of field, even on a wide lens, was so limited and interesting, especially for the beginning of our film, which depicts an attack on a café,” he says. “Every time a person pops their head up from behind the counter, they’re shot at. The compressed depth of field and blurred imagery produced by the T1s helped to communicate their disorientation and confusion. The characters are trying desperately to clarify what they see in front of them. It’s almost a visual representation of the feeling of fear. I felt like the T1s were perfect for that sequence because the effect is something I’d never seen before.”
Vantage Paris provided the full camera package, including its own digital video assist solution, the PSU4, which came in handy for Fiore’s careful control of color – much of the color was desaturated from the image in the production design and in the final color in post.
“We wanted a sense of life that you might see in a war-torn area – the left-over indications of a formerly civilized place,” he says. “You might see a blue blanket or a red scarf in the rubble. That was the only sense of color I wanted in the film. The script takes place in a single day, and we wanted to show that progression through the color of the sunlight. The heart of the film is the end, and by then you’re finally able to see the color of sunlight – a saturated, golden hue that shows the devastation, but also gives a sense of hope.
“The PSU is a great system,” says Fiore. “Because Vantage took care of everything, even the carts, I never had to worry about having enough monitors, and the professional setup that I’m used to. It was a complete working unit, from the video assist, the batteries, the monitors, even the carts. It wasn’t just the cameras and lenses. We had two video villages, including one for the producers, and proper monitors for the DITs. Equipment-wise, Vantage made it a completely professional set. I’m grateful to Alexander Bscheidl and Andreas Teichner of Vantage, who were hands-on and so supportive.”
Looking back on the experience, Fiore says, “It was really an ideal situation. I wasn’t just cinematographer of the project. I was also involved in the visual storytelling, helping to create specific moments of emotion photographically. That’s the really interesting part of cinematography. We had a very organized and experienced AD, Bruce Franklin, and we had eight weeks of prep and 42 shooting days. And to top it off, Matthew and I have been friends for a long time. So overall, it was a wonderful experience.”
Fiore is currently shooting Infinite, a feature film for director Antoine Fuqua that is scheduled to be released in August 2020.
images: Vantage, Matthew Michael Carnahan, imdb, © Conde Nast Entertainment
