<img src="/img/v1/news/news_2002-02_02_01.gif" alt="Best Cinematography" width="197" height="75" border="0" hspace="10"><br> <table border="0"> <tr> <tr> <td valign="top" align="center"> <br><img src="/img/v1/news/news_2002-01_01_01.gif" alt="" width="200" height="262" border="0" hspace="10"><br><br><br> <img src="/img/v1/news/news_2002-01_01_02.gif" alt="" width="200" height="194" border="0" hspace="10"><br><br> <img src="/img/v1/news/news_2002-01_01_03.gif" alt="" width="200" height="262" border="0" hspace="10"><br> </td> <td valign="top"> <p><br> Vantage Film congratulates DoP Gérard Simon, AFC for his Golden Frog received at the CAMERIMAGE film festival in Lodz, Poland. The honored feature film "THE KING IS DANCING" ("LE ROI DANSE") directed by Gérard Corbiau was shot entirely with Vantage's Hawk® Anamorphics.<br><br> "THE KING IS DANCING" is set in the early years of the reign of young King Louis XIV who uses his power and influence to advance the cause of the arts, patronizing composer Jean-Baptiste Lully and playwright Molière. But as Louis grows older, his support for the arts diminishes, and Lully is pitted against Molière, as the two artists try to secure the King's future patronage.<br>The interiors, the costumes and even the music are overwhelming. The movie is a pure feast for the eyes and ears. It's a movie well worth seeing!</p> <p>The International Camerimage 2001 Jury was composed of: Jorg Schmidt - Reitwein, Robert Fraisse, Phedon Papamicheal, Sean Bobbitt and presided by Roger Deakins and spent seven hard days watching and judging 14 films (Silver Frog: DoP Adam Sikora for "Angelus" directed by Lech Majewski, Poland, Bronze Frog: DoP Piotr Sobocinski for "Hearts in Atlantis" directed by Scott Hicks, USA).<br><br> Right after "THE KING IS DANCING" Gérard Simon shot "ON POUVAIT PAS SAVOIR" using the new Hawk® V-Series Anamorphics for the first time.</p> <p>Gérard Simon talks about "THE KING IS DANCING":<br> "Six years ago, I was preparing the low budget comedy "TENUE CORRECTE EXIGÉE" which was mainly set in a palace hotel at night. The director wanted to shoot in 2.35 aspect ratio, and to employ a zoom lens - so he could quickly change the framing during the shot (he was operating himself). I was adding some extra light to the original light coming from the practicals of the Royal Monceau - a very stylish but dim lit hotel in Champs-Elysées! At that time the Super 35 was not fully developed in France, so I decided to look for a good, compact and fast anamorphic zoom. The Hawk® 46-230mm/T4 was the answer.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" colspan="2"> <br><p align="justify">I did comparative tests with some other anamorphic lenses. Some of them were bigger and heavier, but none was as good as the Hawk. Finally I shot 50% of the footage of "TENUE CORRECTE EXIGÉE" with that zoom, quite full open and the result was perfect.<br><br> "THE KING IS DANCING" was the third feature film I have shot with Hawk Anamorphic® lenses and it was another kind of challenge: It is a Period film (17th century), huge sets, candle light everywhere, Steadicam® shots as well as hand held shots, etc. The director wanted a perfect 2.35 aspect ratio and the production was expecting a quick and low cost Super 35 shooting.<br><br>I choose again Hawk Anamorphic® lenses, making a promise to the production and to the director, Gérard CORBIAU: They will never have to complain about anamorphic shooting, they won't even notice any difference to a spherical shooting and it won't be more expensive in terms of light and time.<br><br>I kept my promise: but we were watching true, sharp, anamorphic pictures at the screening.</p> <p align="justify">Numerous candlelight scenes where shot in very low and flickering light at T2.5 or T2.8 and, with the help of my focus puller Robert PATZELT, the rushes were beautiful and sharp. I even had to use 1/8 or 1/4 Black ProMist® filters when shooting close-ups with the Hawk® 100mm or the 135mm to soften the skin a little bit.<br><br>I am coming from the documentary, I like to use available light and play with the real sources of light. I avoid to overlight the scenes. A candle is a very weak, moving source of light. It has to look like this on the screen.</p> <p align="justify">I prefer the anamorphic touch: shallow depth of field in the close-ups, sharp details in the wide shots, texture of the image, everything seems to create a 3D image, comparing to a Super 35 which looks often flat and with no perspective.<br><br>I am preparing the remake of a famous French movie from the fifties: "FANFAN LA TULIPE", produced by Luc Besson. Though he is a great fan of Super 35 ("THE FIFTH ELEMENT", "JOAN OF ARC") I have convinced him to shoot it in true anamorphic system. And, for sure, this will be the Hawk® system."</p> </td> </tr> </tr> </table>
