By Robert Goldrich
The Emerging Cinematographer Awards (ECA) ceremony held at the DGA Theater in L.A. last month was in some respects a microcosm of SHOOT’s Directors Series with its director profiles, its close-up look at up-and-coming talent, and a Cinematographers & Cameras feature exploring not only DPs and their choice of equipment but also their collaborative relationships with directors.
All these elements were present in the ECA opening remarks. Kicking off the event was Steven Poster, ASC, president of the International Cinematographers Guild, which honored the work of the ECA competition winners for the 20th straight year. Poster in turn introduced director Richard Kelly who hearkened back to his feature directorial debut, Donnie Darko, and the good fortune he had to secure Poster as its cinematographer.
Kelly recalled that as he was considering different DPs for Donnie Darko, he ran across Poster and his credentials, including 2nd unit on Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind, additional photography on Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner and then serving as DP on Scott’s Someone to Watch Over Me.
Kelly said that as a young director starting out, being able to secure Poster for Donnie Darko was “a huge blessing,” adding that cinematographers of Poster’s caliber can turn a no into a yes when it comes to helping to realize certain aspects of a director’s vision.
The value of such collaboration is evident in this issue’s Fall Directors Series lineup of profiles which includes: Jeff Nichols discussing his working relationship with cinematographer Adam Stone, most recently on Loving; and Garth Davis extolling the virtues of Greig Fraser, ASC, who shot the director’s first feature, Lion.
The industry lifeblood of new talent—like Kelly back in the days of Donnie Darko—is also front and center in our Up-and-Coming Directors feature which centers on four filmmakers who have landed their first spot production house roosts.
And our Cinematographers & Cameras story delves into the bond between DPs and directors. As Poster said when addressing the ECA gathering, he remembers and cherishes having “so much fun arguing” with Kelly on projects about camera positioning and assorted other creative and technical considerations. It’s the type of arguments that bring people closer together, smiled Poster.
A TV as big as a bed? With the holidays approaching, stores stock more supersize sets
For some television viewers, size apparently does matter.
Forget the 65-inch TVs that were considered bigger than average a decade ago. In time for the holidays, manufacturers and retailers are rolling out more XXL screens measuring more than 8 feet across. That's wider than a standard three-seat sofa or a king-size bed.
Supersize televisions only accounted for 1.7% of revenue from all TV set sales in the U.S. during the first nine months of the year, according to market research firm Circana. But companies preparing for shoppers to go big for Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa have reason to think the growing ultra category will be a bright spot in an otherwise tepid television market, according to analysts.
The 38.1 million televisions sold with a width of at least 97 inches between January and September represented a tenfold increase from the same period last year, Circana said. Best Buy, the nation's largest consumer electronics chain, doubled the assortment of hefty TVs — the 19 models range in price from $2,000 to $25,000 — and introduced displays in roughly 70% of its stores.
"It's really taken off this year," Blake Hampton, Best Buy's senior vice president of merchandising, said.
Analysts credit the emerging demand to improved technology and much lower prices. So far this year, the average price for TVs spanning at least 97 inches was $3,113 compared to $6,662 last year, according to Circana. South Korean electronics manufacturer Samsung introduced its first 98-inch TV in 2019 with a hefty price tag of $99,000; it now has four versions starting at $4,000, the company said.
Anthony Ash, a 42-year-old owner of a wood pallet and recycling business, recently bought a 98-inch Sony for his 14,000-square-foot house in... Read More