FILM AND DIGITAL PRODUCTION.
“Every year, they make a huge seasonal advert. It’s become quite an institution in Spain,” Ian explains. “When the ad finally comes out, it really signifies the start of summer.” Typically sleek and polished, corporate ads are defined by high-end gloss, but Ian felt a grittier sensibility was better suited to this project. It wasn’t the first time he’d made use of Cinelab – in 2014, he directed the music video for Paolo Nutini’s One Day , utilising the same system. “For Estrella, we licensed Morricone’s music for the director’s cut, so it felt right. It was classic in every aspect. Film just looks cinematic, and that’s exactly the kind of feel we wanted. “We were against the clock, and then got hit by a storm, so shooting on 35mm wasn’t a choice. It would have been a complete disaster, and the risk factor wasn’t something we could justify – or afford. I talked with my DOP, Mauro Chiarello, and after some deliberation went the DFD route. The guys at Cinelab were superb, as always.” Sharp and clean, digital freeze frames are spotless, whereas film has characteristic roughness, movement and texture. By overlaying sharp focus grain, the formula creates a curious impression. Paradoxically, the image appears clearer. “It works great for upscaling content,” Adrian says. “We’ve taken Mini DV and recorded it to 35mm, and that enhances the result. The perception is interesting. “I talked with my DOP, Mauro Chiarello, and after some deliberation went the DFD route. The guys at Cinelab were superb, as always”
PREACH TO THE CONVERTED This Arrilaser unit is crucial for the transformation from digital to film
synthetic when incorporated on a solely digital basis, whereas film affords the possibility of ‘baking in’ post-production techniques. On this, Adrian raises some astute observations. “Picture an alleyway scene – characters framed in silhouette. In real life, what you see in the shadows isn’t this perfect deep black, but something you can’t necessarily resolve. Digital can specify too much detail, becoming a distraction. “As for the world of VFX, there’s a digital tendency for everything to look clean and perfect, but we register it as unreal. Recording to film blends in those effects, and they sit better in the overall frame. The artificiality isn’t so obvious, and tricks are maintained.” Harking back to the days of founding practices, Cinelab’s procedures continue in the vein of pioneers like Le Prince. To the untrained eye, footage that’s undergone this process looks just like the content it seeks to imitate – evidence that the illusory tradition can prevail in new and exciting ways. Film isn’t dead. It’s just evolving.
It’s changing on a frame-by-frame basis; and once you do that, it creates this interesting filter.” It’s widely understood that film is better with high-light conditions, and digital fares better with the opposite. Special effects can appear tacky and
CRASH COURSE Director Ivan Zachariáš and DOP Jan Velicky worked with Cinelab on a Volvo advert, The Ultimate Safety Test
53. JUNE 2022
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