“Australian Cinematographer”
Issue #27
LITTLE FISH
DANNY RUHLMANN, ACS
About a year ago I was fortunate enough to be sent the script for Little Fish. Even before reading the script I was interested. With director Rowan Woods, Producers Vincent Sheehan and Liz Watts and a wonderful cast already in place, I knew it would be an interesting journey.
Once I had met Rowan my thoughts had been confirmed. He was passionate, intelligent, and very excited about the project. Most important, he was a really nice guy.
What really appealed to me was that I would be combining much of my past news, documentary and commercial work history into this film.
Rowan wanted this film to be different. He wanted to force us to do things slightly differently. He wanted to “remove the safety net”. My first thoughts were to shoot without lights at all. I quickly realized that this was not practical. I decided to use a highly reduced lighting van and grips van.
I had worked a lot with gaffer Matt Hoile. He has a great lighting package
which includes a complete range on HMI pars from 6K down to 200 Watts.
He also has a range of kino flo lamps, quads, wallos and blanket lights.
The light we used the most is basic bulb set inside a pancake which is fitted
to an extendable boom arm and easily positioned around set. The light is
soft and flattering and it is very quick to use.
My key grip was Ian Bird; a wonderful supportive guy with an amazing amount of experience. Nothing was a problem. He put together a van package which included a Fisher 11 dolly, scaff towers, car rigs – everything we needed. We supplemented both vans with some additional gear as required.
The look of the film to me was one of “fragility”. I wanted the audience to feel a connection with the characters. We wanted to capture the performances and not restrict them. We shot almost entirely hand held, often moving around the actors.
Danny
Ruhlmann with Director Rowan Woods
We wanted the actors to play with the light and the shadows. My focus puller Derry Field did and amazing job. I tried to make it as difficult for him as possible. We wanted to capture the imperfections of the world and focus was a major tool. We intentionally shot everything wide open using Panavision ultra speed lenses. The depth of field was next to nothing. This also created a sense of isolation from their environment.
I wanted the look to be honest and realistic. Something the audience could relate to. I tried doing this by keeping the hand held camera movement spontaneous and unpredictable at times. I wanted the audience to work for it. I wanted the camera to have a voyeuristic feel. I also used macro lenses throughout the film, shooting still life moments which helped create a mood.
Early in pre-production, Rowan described the characters as “creatures of the night”. That being the case, I wanted the exteriors to be harsh and at times unpleasant. I remembered reading about Saving Private Ryan and how Janus Kaminski used un-coated Panavision lenses to help create flare. I spoke with the guys at Panavision who tracked down the one set of “flare” lenses they have and made them available for us.
I used a Panavision Millenium XL camera body, a basic kit of Ultra speed lenses, and coral filters for colour correction. The majority of the film was shot on Kodak 5218, rated at 500ASA and pushed to 1000ASA if needed. A short “home movie” style flashback sequence was shot on super16 Fuji 500T, pushed 1 stop and overexposed 1 stop to give a reversal type look. The film was graded optically at Atlab with the opening sequence and closing sequence done DI at Frame, Set and Match using the new “North Light” scanner.
I spent most of my pre-production time visiting and re-visiting our locations. I had a long list of scheduling requirements I presented to the 1st AD, John Martin. He did a great ensuring we were in the right place at the right time of day. Rowan and I also spent much time watching film for reference. Films as diverse as Morvern Callar, 21 Grams, City of God, Witness, Taxi Driver, In the Mood for Love, Elephant, Lost in Translation, Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and Midnight Cowboy, to name a few!
The director was very supportive throughout the film. We prepared as much as possible and then let go of that to allow for spontaneity. If I was having difficulty with a set up, we would just change our approach to make it happen. We allowed the film to take on its own look.
Little Fish was a wonderful time for me. Everything just clicked, especially my relationship with Rowan Woods. I hope to have many more experiences like this one in the future.