Arri-news 2011

ALEXA AND ALURA DP John Sharaf on his ideal camera and lens combination From documentaries, commercials and news segments to television shows and features, cinematographer John Sharaf has done his share of shooting in different styles on every kind of format. When the ARRI ALEXA came on the market, Sharaf was one of the first to recognize its unique features and to purchase the camera along with the two ARRI/FUJINON Alura Zooms that were released at the same time. “I have to say the first thing that attracted me to the Aluras was the cost, and then the ARRI and Fujinon pedigree further hypnotized me,” admits Sharaf. “When I looked at the 18-80 mm Alura on the projector at ARRI I was totally convinced! It was tack sharp and with great contrast. When I shot portraits the next day I was in heaven with the quality of the picture and the way it handled skin tones. At first I wondered if I would really need the 45-250 mm as well, but the more I used the short zoom, the more I wanted the long one. Knowing that it would match in f-stop, sharpness and contrast, as well as matte box size, made it a no-brainer to add the 45-250 as soon as I was able to do so, and I'm glad I did every time I use them.” One of the first productions on which Sharaf put his investments to work was The Making of Michael, a documentary about the posthumous Michael Jackson album. Many of the interviews in the documentary took place in cramped recording spaces. “The mixing studio was particularly tiny,” says the cinematographer. “Even though I had probably less than three feet to the background objects in the interview, I was able to turn them into a colorful abstract image that made our interview subject stand out. The 18-80 mm allows me to use the same lens all day when working like this inside. I'm definitely favoring the long end for interviews, in order to ‘fuzz- up’ the background and draw attention to our subject, and the wide end when covering the actualities.” Since the Michael Jackson project, Sharaf has had several months to put the ALEXA/Alura combination through its paces on other productions. “I have to say ‘hats-off’ to ARRI and Fujinon for creating the perfect lens set for the ALEXA camera,” concludes the cinematographer. “Together it's a complete system that satisfies creative, technical and economic considerations.” ARRI NEWS 29