Movie Premier – Once upon a time in Hollywood.
In cinemas today is Director-Quentin Tarantino’s latest film, Once upon a time in Hollywood.
Cinematographer Bob Richardson and his gaffer LiteGear-fellow, Ian Kincaid did some great rigs on this project including a car rig with Brad Pitt driving down Hollywood Blvd.
From American Cinematographer Magazine article by Benjamin B.
The scene driving down Hollywood Boulevard in 1969 is an amazing re-creation of the period.
Kincaid: It was a major under- taking. We lit one three-block section, then took it all down and did another three blocks. It represents weeks of work by 20 people on the rigging crew — led by rigging gaffer John Manocchia — and probably another 20 set dressers.
Hollywood Boulevard was meticulously and faithfully restored to how it looked 50 years ago.
How did you light DiCaprio and Pitt in the car?
Kincaid: Their car was towed down the Boulevard on a lowboy trailer. Brad and Leo were frontlit by a 2-by-8-foot soft LED box with LiteTile from LiteGear. We went to 2,600 or 2,800 Kelvin, and we could easily fluctuate the light a little as we drove. When Brad drives his convertible, we used a 2-by-4-foot LiteTile on the hood.
The scene where the Manson Family attackers talk inside the car is very, very dark.
Kincaid: We set up a muslin soft source on one side, and put a 2-by-8-foot and a 2-by-4-foot LiteTile LED soft source in front of the car. The great thing about LEDs is that they’re micro-adjustable. I can take them down 1⁄10 of a stop or less. So we position them and then use them as much as we need them, or take them down very low like we did there.
The plot
A faded TV actor and his stunt double embark on an odyssey to make a name for themselves in the film industry during the Helter Skelter reign of terror in 1969 Los Angeles. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie, Kurt Russell, Brad Pitt, Al Pacino, and Dakota Fanning; directed by Quentin Tarantino.
