Arri-news 2014

For a new Ford campaign, director Kurt Mattila and producer Alexander Dervin developed the idea of a series of commercials that feel like clips from the same movie. Each individual spot focuses on a specific Ford vehicle, while also being part of a bigger super-hero thriller. “Kurt and I knew a widescreen frame would accommodate the five cars and seven actors,” says cinematographer Keith Dunkerley. “We really wanted to shoot with anamorphic lenses because you get a more cinematic look.” Having chosen the ALEXA XT as his camera for the shoot, Dunkerley asked Kavon Elhami of Burbank-based camera rental house CamTec Motion Picture Cameras to show him anamorphic lenses. “Kavon was so helpful with this process,” says the cinematographer. “He had a wide variety of anamorphic lenses and brought out every single one, showing me different looks and the quality of the glass.” Dunkerley immediately gravitated toward ARRI/ZEISS Master Anamorphics. “The lenses were amazing; they were clearly the right glass for the project,” he says. “Kurt was really excited and backed me up. Being able to combine the Master Anamorphics with the ALEXA’s 4:3 sensor was just what we wanted.” The creatives at ad agency Team Detroit wondered if there might be edge artifacts, a common issue with older anamorphic lenses, but Dunkerley showed them how the Master Anamorphic image was completely undistorted, from edge to edge. “The focus looked fantastic and the background dropped off in that classic anamorphic way,” he says. “These lenses also didn’t flare easily, and they captured incredible detail. I assured Team Detroit that there would be no distortion and that this was the look we should go for.” With 14 spots to complete in just nine shooting days, the crew appreciated how the Master Anamorphics helped streamline a pressured schedule. 1st AC Shaun Mayor notes, “The lenses are matched pretty closely so it made calibration very fast. ARRI/ZEISS Master Anamorphic lenses help lend a cinematic feel to a series of Ford TV spots THAT MOVIE LOOK 34 ARRI NEWS