Tag Archives: Roger Pratt

Sep13

Behind the Camera – Roger Pratt

Posted on by
Standard

Roger Pratt BSC is a British cinematographer. Pratt has been the director of photography for more than 35 films. Among his body of films, he has worked on Batman (1989), Frankenstein (1994), 102 Dalmatians (2000), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Troy (2004), and more recently Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), Inkheart (2008), The Karate Kid (2010) and most recently Jadoo (2013).

________________________________________________________________

Keep up to date with the latest Jadoo News on:

          

Jul26

A Fine Grade

Posted on by
Standard

We shot Jadoo on beautiful 35mm, Kodak stock.  But in the brave new digital world it’s the first and last time the picture is on a physical medium.

When the cut is done, and the picture is “locked”, those sections of the original negative that we’ve used in the film are scanned, frame-by-frame, into a digital format. And at such a density that each and every frame – and there’s about 120,000 of them – is its own 12 megabyte file. (A standard DVD holds about 4.7 megabytes.) They are massive, beautiful and highly adaptable.

This allows the director, Amit Gupta, and Cinematographer, Roger Pratt, to balance, smooth and, occasionally, revisit a shot – to adapt it to the narrative in a really precise way.

We are grading with Paul Ensby at Technicolor in Lexington Street, W1. Paul is the calm, highly-skilled and hugely experienced colourist of such features as Senna, Salmon Fishing In The Yemen and Kingdom Of Heaven.

And he goes back a way with Roger having graded the very beautiful Dorian Gray and Closing the Ring.

(And Paul’s dad, the legendary John Ensby, goes back even further, having been the lab colourist over the last the last twenty years on Roger’s films such as Shadowlands, The End Of The Affair for which Roger received his Oscar nomination, two Harry Potters, Troy, etc. But that’s another story.)

The team sits together in a darkened studio and, first up, watches the film through – ungraded, raw and without stopping. During the next, quick-ish pass, the worst offenders are ironed out – glitches in the scan, bumpy transitions between shots, jumps in light intensity between scenes. Anything that, as a first time viewer, might throw you out of the story.

And then the film is gone through reel-by-reel, section-by-section, scene-by-scene and, lastly, shot-by-shot. It’s an intense and focusing process. There’s a constant dialogue between Paul, Roger and Amit. And, apart from the first and last run-throughs it’s done mute, in total silence just staring at the light, colours and contrast.

What’s really heartening is how funny the film remains, even when watched without dialogue. And it’s only when you see each and every moment, in silence, again and again, that you realise how bloody marvellous our cast are… just firing on all cylinders in every scene, even when they are in the back of frame.

We’re recording the score with our Oscar-winning composer, Stephen Warbeck next. Still pinching ourselves.

 

________________________________________________________________

Keep up to date with the latest Jadoo News on:

          

Jul2

The Gang’s All Here

Posted on by
Standard

On Sunday, from just after lunch until just after midnight, almost the whole team were back together. But this time it wasn’t in a curry-house in lovely Leicester. We were holed-up in a rather swish suite at The Savoy. Slumming it again.

We were picking-up two keys scenes to develop the relationship between Shalini (Amara Karan) and Mark (Tom Mison). Both are busy actors: Amara has just started rehearsing with the RSC and Tom is on stage eight-shows-a-week in the West End hit, Posh.

So, Sunday and part of Monday was our only opportunity to get this done and everyone responded, as always, with wit, enthusiasm and focus.

And why a suite at The Savoy? Well, the staff and the view are two great reasons. Even as a sweaty film crew we were treated like treasured guests; Julia Harris, the director of Entertainment Sales really couldn’t do enough to help. And what a vista: Big Ben, The Wheel and the Thames. All from angles that we rarely see. It says, “We’re getting married” in a very short shorthand. 

It was great to be shooting again. Amit Gupta and his team fell into lockstep instantly. Roger Pratt and Tommy Finch lit the space very economically and the crew glided past each other like dancers.

Even though we were outside on a lovely day on Monday it was much more of a challenge. Tabard Gardens is a small urban green-space surrounded by redbrick blocks of flats. Perfect as a Leicester backdrop.  But, well, noisy. The locals were very accommodating; turning down their music and swerving the set. But something was up in the skies over London, with helicopters buzzing us throughout the shoot. We must have counted fifty fly-pasts.

But when you have a actors and crew who know, like and respect each other, under a director who’s clearly enjoying himself then things start to come together quickly.

We shot-out the scenes, said thank-you to our stars and headed into London for some restaurant establishers and general views of this beautiful capital on a fabulous evening, blessed with spectacular cloudscapes.

And, because Amit’s working with the best young editor in the world, Eddie Hamilton, the scenes dropped right in as if they’d always been there.

Next stop: distributor screenings.

Jun15

Roger Pratt BSC

Posted on by
Standard

The Jadoo team were awed and humbled to have had the opportunity to work with Roger Pratt BSC.  He’s worked as director of photography on two Harry Potter films, 12 Monkeys, Troy, Chocolat, The Fisher King, Batman and Brazil to name a few. His feature films have won both Oscars, BAFTAs and he’s worked with some of the most influential directors of our time including Tim Burton and Terry Gilliam. While on the set of Jadoo we managed to grab him from his busy schedule to ask him a few questions about his astonishing career and what it’s been like working on the upcoming feature film Jadoo.

What made you want to be a part of making the feature film Jadoo?

It was mainly because of Amit the director, who I met in the Groucho Club in London. We got talking and he explained the idea of Jadoo. He’s a very clever and nice man and I decided I would help him out by being the lighting camera man and here I am. I’m still glad that I’m here.

What is it like working with director Amit Gupta?

It’s very creative… directors come in all different kinds of manifestations. Some who know absolutely nothing about lighting and camera, some who know a lot. Amit is sort of in the middle ground. He himself understands what he likes – which is a good thing – but probably what he needs is help “getting it”… and I’m that person and I’m very glad to do it for him.

What is the role of a cinematographer?

Well, essentially that is a moveable feast. But basically I’m the head of the camera department, which is roughly three or four people. There’s a person on my team who looks through the camera and work out the moves; and then there’s someone who keeps all the images in focus  - which sounds crazy but when you have a moving target it’s someone who’s very important – and someone who looks after the equipment and the ordering of the film. Then we have a loader who makes sure the film is managed, ordered and put into the camera.

The person who is also important to us also is the one who moves and constructs the movement of the camera; whether it’s placed in one spot on a tripod or it’s a moving shot – where a sort of railway system is installed, that we call tracks, to get from A to B to assist in the telling of the story.



What’s the most important aspects of a cinematographer?

It’s telling the story, it’s making sure that the intention of the writer is fully realized with what you do with the camera and the lights. Those two things.

How do you go about lighting a scene?

My primary objective to begin with is to light faces because I feel that’s the most important job of a cinematographer unless it’s a wildlife documentary about elephants. With a drama the way you light the faces is key to it all. For that reason it’s good to be able to influence and talk to the designer so that in the end the places that are backgrounds – whether it’s a house or like we are now, a theatre – allow you to illustrate the story.

Food is big part of this film. How do you go about making it look so delicious?

That was very lucky for me because I use to do hundreds of food commercials, so I was able to draw on that experience and when needed make the food look stunning.

What look were you trying to achieve for the Holi Festival?

We were shooting outside so I have very little control of the actually illumination of the scene, that was a given and if you remember it was a bit dull with moments of sunshine. So one of my concerns for exterior shooting is to make sure a scene that was shot over two or three days look like it was 5 minutes of continuous look. The look has to be kept similar.

That’s quite hard in Britain and that’s why they invented Hollywood! Because the sun was always shining and the early studios were all outside, and a lot of the studios in Hollywood when they first started revolved with the sun so everyone was always back-lit.


How have you found working with the actors on Jadoo?

Absolutely brilliant, they’re very receptive to everything and they’re very good actors. I think in a director of photography’s career it’s the big stars that are the most difficult. Not in that they’re difficult in themselves perhaps – though sometimes they are! – but they require flawless cinematography. Especially girls and woman who want to look glamorous. They would be difficult to relate to if they you weren’t making them look their best. So, I use a lot of soft light – with the tracing frames – to light faces with soft diffused light. Obviously anything that’s hard, like an open light bulb, gives harsh shadows.

You’ve had a long career as a director of photography. What is it about films and the making process that you like so much?

The process itself engages the intellect, and then the emotions are engaged because of the people you meet. And then interesting actors, the directors that you have to have a very close relationship with…

What’s been the most challenging setting that you’ve worked in as a director of photography?

China. We did Karate Kid with Jaden Smith and the Smiths. Being away from home, we were contracted to do three months but it ended up being five… Because we were in China there were no unions. I don’t follow that construct that unions are completely a good idea but when you work abroad and there are no unions things going completely haywire. You find yourself working too many hours without much break. Unions do have their place in controlling the hours that you work.


What advice to you have for young people looking for a career as a director of photography?

I would encourage them to start at the bottom of the tree. That gets you familiar with the procedures of a team. However much you think you know about lighting – which you may very well do – you won’t know about the procedures and the hierarchy. And you’ll probably be able to learn from the cameraman or DOP more than you knew before. So I would recommend going up through the ranks. I know not everyone does that and they’ve made very good cameramen but I think it gives you a human appreciation for the rest of the crew.

How do you think you can get someone to trust you to take the next step up the tree?

You have to go backwards in the sense of the project. For example you might have been loading on a major motion pictures but you probably won’t be asked to focus pull on a major motion picture. You might be able to focus pull on a documentary and then with your contacts progress as a focus puller into motion pictures. It is difficult and some people have opted not to go up. I know some focus pullers and loaders that are so good no one wants to give them a promotion, which is a shame but it does happen.

How did it happen for you?

Well I probably wasn’t very good at focus pulling more than anything so I had to go up! (laughs)

What has been your favourite project that you’ve worked on to date?

One of the Monty Pythons, I think. Terry Gilliam is one of the most creative people that I’ve every met. Although he’s not a normal person in some ways! To work with him is an education in what’s possible and what the possibilities are to create something really beautiful and interesting.

Roger leaves with a thumbs-up and a grin on his face before heading back to set to finish the afternoon’s filming. Roger Pratt is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met and is so humble. It was a pleasure to see him at work and doing what he loves. I hope one day to work with him again.


________________________________________________________________

Keep up to date with the latest Jadoo News on:

          

Apr24

Transition

Posted on by
Standard

The end comes quietly.

The shoot ended on the Saturday after Good Friday.  And within hours almost everyone had gone.

It was a great last week – including three days in the Peepul Centre in Leicester, shooting the Kings of Curry competition with our fabulous cast and crew joined by the incomparable Madhur Jaffrey and the life-saving Hardeep Singh Koli.

It would have been nice to imagine that we finished the very last shot of the very last day with our 1st Assistant Director, Gareth Tandy, bellowing “Thank you, Boys & Girls. That’s a wrap …!” but it wasn’t like that…

In fact the very last day – as it is on most films, I imagine – was an intense session of two camera crews picking up wide shots of Leicester and micro-shots of food, and the Recipe Book and photo inserts. Lots and lots of precise, fiddly and vital moments.

Lastly Amit Gupta, writer/director, worked with Jules Heath, our over-achieving Unit Stills photographer, directing the cast in a set of amazing stills for the end credits of the film.

And that meant the cast and crew sort of peeled away… cast as they finished their stills and crew as the unit shrank away naturally.

Lastly, it was just Jules and Gaffer, Tommy Finch, shooting a plate shot of a beautiful wedding tuk-tuk.

Then the lights went out.

We’d had a mini-wrap party the night before so almost everyone headed back to the hotel, packed up, hugged colleagues and went to their homes to have an Easter Sunday with friends and family…

But Tuesday after the Bank Holiday it all cranked up again, seamlessly. The Art Department started their wrap process – breaking up sets, returning props and packing tools. The Production and Accounts Team started to put the show to bed and box up the vital documents.

On Wednesday the final rushes arrived and were ingested into the hard-drives and then the mountain of equipment was boxed-up.

CUT TO: Thursday, an office near Leicester Square tube. (We just can’t get away from Leicester.)

Eddie Hamilton, Editor; Riccardo Bacigalupo, Assistant Editor; and Farhana Bhula, Assistant Producer hauled up about eighty boxes up three, narrow flights of stairs to the neat and tidy edit room.

Eddie and Riccardo worked long into the night to set up the gear and on Friday we watched the last rushes with Roger Pratt BSC, Cinematographer and Tim Phillips, Associate Producer.

Elegantly done.

And now we’re approaching the end of assembly. Amit and Eddie start cutting in earnest next week… and then we start setting up the test screenings.

Getting there.

________________________________________________________________

Keep up to date with the latest Jadoo News on:

          

Apr13

And that’s a wrap!

Posted on by
Standard

After a busy five weeks of filming in Leicester we’ve now finished shooting and have begun post-production for the film in London.

After so many ‘magic’ moments on set it was really hard to say goodbye to the cast and crew. There were lots of hugs and shaking of hands as everyone left the set of Jadoo for the last time.


A few of the crew members were snapping away on their phones while making Jadoo. Here are a few of their photos that sum up the shoot:

Thanks to Natasha Phelan, Farhana Bhula & Ravi Lakhani for the photos.

________________________________________________________________

Keep up to date with the latest Jadoo News on:

          

Mar11

Out and About

Posted on by
Standard

The first week of production on Jadoo has been full of laughs and hard work. The cast and crew are excited about getting this movie made and it’s showing in the results. The people of Leicester have been very supportive and everyone who sees us filming on location is thrilled to hear that we’re making a movie based in their hometown. We have some big filming days next week including the very colorful paint festival (Holi) scene.

Here is a selection of photos from our first week:

1st Assistant Director Gareth Tandy , Camera Operator Rob Hart and Grip Steve Weightman

Camera Assistant Harry Gamble

Arricam LT

Boom Operator Ed Brooks

Associate Producer Tim Philips

Director of Photographer Roger Pratt and Director Amit Gupta

3rd Assistant Director Natasha Phelan and Assistant Producer Farhana Bhula

Clapper Loader Tommy Holman and Rob Hart

________________________________________________________________

Keep up to date with the latest Jadoo News on:

          


Mar10

35mm film

Posted on by
Standard

We’re shooting Jadoo on film. To make a film-film you need people who love 35mm Eastman Kodak negative.

Roger Pratt BSC, our Oscar-nominated Cinematographer, wears a badge on his lapel that states, “Film Forever”. He truly understands film and all its extraordinary qualities having shot, in no particular order: Brazil, Mona Lisa, Tim Burton’s Batman, The Fisher King, Shadowlands, Twelve Monkeys, Chocolat, Iris, The End of the Affair…

(It’s odd writing a list of films and knowing with some certainty that, if you’re a film buff, at least one of your top-ten-best-looking-films-of-all-time is on that roster.)

But Roger is also modest enough to tell you that to capture the light that he designs with such aplomb you need a team that includes:

A Camera Operator – we have Rob Hart, a physically powerful young man who can frame a shot on a conventional head and move a Steadicam with equally sensitive ease.

A Focus Puller – a role that requires a bewildering mixture of mathematical precision, obsessive measuring and – if we’re honest – a dab of magic to make sure every actor’s nuanced look is pin-sharp. Sam Renton’s got the fingers, as they say.

An Electrical Team – whose role it is to make Roger’s lighting plans a reality: hoisting lamps, clipping on gels, flagging-off recalcitrant beams whilst making everything safe for cast, crew and Joe Public. Our team – and we are still pinching ourselves – is lead by Gaffer, Tommy Finch and his brother, Rigging Gaffer, Chuck Finch. Listing their credits would double the length of this Blog but suffice it to say, in 2006 Chuck won a BAFTA for his lifetime achievements in film industry. It really is worth typing their names into IMdb and letting your jaw fall open.

Right behind the Gaffers are Paul McDermott, Steven Wood and Ben Coldwell; constantly of the move, two-steps ahead, making this set tidy and then next ready to shoot.

Steve Weightman, our Grip, moves the camera with real grace.  Tommy Holman, our Clapper Loader, is always there with the next lens, the fresh film mag, the chalk… almost before they’re requested. The whole team ably serviced by the indefatigable Harry Gamble, our Camera Assistant and Ken Price, the Camera Car driver.

Every day Tommy Holman calmly accepts his unique, terrifying responsibility – even though he’s one of the youngest members of the unit – and unloads the negative that’s captured all Roger’s beautiful light into thin-metals cans before despatching them to Technicolor to be stuck-fast forever. Six days a week, for five weeks. No pressure.

And every night Amit Gupta, the writer/director, sits with Roger and the team watching the rushes; giggling like schoolboys at the dialogue, making mental notes about actors’ best angles and marvelling at the beauty of 35mm film.

Feb23

Want to join in the fun?

Posted on by
Standard

The Film

Two Indian brothers, both wonderful chefs, fall out catastrophically. At the climax of their dispute they rip the family recipe book in half – one brother gets the starters and the other gets the main courses. They set up rival restaurants, across the road from each other, and spend the next twenty years trying to out-do each other. Neither brother will admit it but they both know they are not entirely successful in the ‘other half’ of the menu. It takes a daughter – a successful corporate lawyer marrying a man from a different ethnic background – to reunite them. She is planning her marriage and is determined that they will both cook together. But can the men bury the hatchet without actually burying the kitchen knife?

Looking for

We are looking for kitchen staff & waiters for the two main Indian restaurants as well as festival-goers to shoot a large open-air Holi scene. It will be a great chance to see what happens when a film is made, and the Holi scenes in particular should be fun!

If you are interested in taking part please email rashi_84@hotmail.com or phone Rashi Lakhani on 07811 335 944 or Adam Barrington on 07710 185 299 and we can tell you more about the project. Applicants should be aged 18 and over.

Dates

We are filming between March 5 and April 4 2012.

People involved

Director – AMIT GUPTA

Director of photography – ROGER PRATT B.S.C

Check our IMDB & our Facebook page for more details.

__________________________________________________________________

Keep up to date with the latest Jadoo News on: