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Kodak Three Reeler at the 2004 ifp Los Angeles Film Festival

The Kodak Three Reeler was again held in the main theatre at the Directors Guild of America headquarters in Hollywood, CA. This year's program featured Cinematographer Alan Daviau with Lorette Bayle of Kodak Entertainment as moderator.

Directors Guild of America, Hollywood, CA. Site of the Kodak Three Reeler at the 2004 IFP Los Angeles Film Festival

Lorette Bayle, Kodak Entertainment

Alan Daviau, ASC

Before the screenings began, Mr. Daviau discussed cinematography and filmmaking with students from ifp/Los Angeles's project:involve, a program that helps promote diversity in the film industry.

The first reel we viewed was from Stephen Spielberg's 1987 film Empire of the Sun. This reel showed the Japanese invasion of Shanghai. Alan discussed the logistics of shooting part of a film in Shanghai and part in England.

The second reel was from the 2004 film Van Helsing. The first part of the reel showed a chase through a forest, the later part, the Vampires Ball. Half of the film was shot in Los Angeles and half in Prague. Everything was shot on film and then tranfered to digital intermediate.

Much of the discussion following the screening was about the incredible lighting for the Vampire Ball. The candles were tubes filled with special oil. Because the inside of the church was so large, the lighting was done with balloon lights on the ceiling, that were removed digitally during post-production. The acrobats flying around the church were added digitally. With the exception of blue screen shots, which were shot on 5217 film, the entire film, both black and white and color scenes was shot on 5218 film. Alan stressed the importance of seeing dailies.

Van Helsing is very heavy on digital effects, 1100 to be exact. Alan stressed the necessity of having some one on set who is responsible for, and will be involved in creating the visual effects.

The last reel was reel two from re-released version of Speilberg's ET. Before the screening Alan explained that ET was created by 13 people, not digitally. He stressed the importance of this in creating the illusion of reality. The kids could look at ET, rather than have to imagine he was there as it would have been if he were added digitally in post production. The reel he showed us included a scene with ET in a bathtub that was added in the remake.