Semler: Apocalypto using digital cinematography with "extraordinary results"

From Scott Kirsner: Speaking from the "Apocalypto" set in Mexico, cinematographer Dean Semler notes that he has been struck by the absence of blur in the foreground of his digital shots. With a Panavision Genesis camera suspended on a cable, he says, "we were moving it at running speed with our actors, tracking them through the jungle from about 20 feet away, and you'd see branches and bushes and leaves with highlights on them, streaking by in the foreground. The results were extraordinary -- these stunning images of speed." Semler also appreciated the ability to shoot for longer stretches -- about 50 minutes -- without having to reload the camera while working on the Adam Sandler starrer "Click." "We shot for 20 or 30 minutes at a go on 'Click,'" Semler says. "It allows actors to keep 'in the moment' and allows directors to try alternatives without calling, 'Cut!' and breaking the flow. We'd change tapes maybe twice a day." [source] [Discuss this post in the Apocalypto Watch Forum now!] [Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson, Dean Semler]