Monday, May 6, 2024
Subscribe Now

Voice Of The Crew - Since 2002

Los Angeles, California

HomeCraftsCameraCinematographer Gordon Lonsdale Relies on OConnor for Bones

Cinematographer Gordon Lonsdale Relies on OConnor for Bones

-

Gordon Lonsdale on the set of Bones. (Photo by Adam Taylor).
Cinematographer Gordon Lonsdale, ASC, credited OConnor support for allowing his operators to keep moves fresh and innovative on the long-running Fox series Bones. “Actually, I’ve been a big fan of OConnor throughout my career,” he said. “When I was an assistant I used the 50 and 100. Then when the lightweight 100 came out, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.”

Bones shoots with ARRI Alexa cameras, Optimo zooms and Leica primes. Lonsdale’s two operators use 120EX OConnor heads, supplied by Otto Nemenz, and set them up in completely different configurations. Greg Collier, A-camera/2nd unit DP will tighten the drag quite a bit and operate that way. Andy Shuttleworth, B-camera/Steadicam, keeps his head very loose. “Still, they both do beautiful work,” Lonsdale said.

To keep the series fresh, he often puts his cameras in very challenging positions, especially on shots where the lead actors are investigating some sort of grizzly death. “This is often where the strength of the heads allows us to use the long lenses and to put my Z-plate on the head and hang it upside down with the camera, complete with zoom, skimming across the ground for many shots,” he explained.

“And, I’ve gone to other extremes, putting the camera eye level with water in a stream or lake and have put down a tripod and the OConnor head – all underwater. It was simple. I knew the head would continue to work and that my camera would be supported,” he added.

Bones, a darkly amusing procedural drama based on real-life forensic anthropologist and novelist Kathy Reichs, opened its eighth season on Fox Jan. 14. New episodes air Mondays at 8 p.m.

- Advertisment -

Popular

Animated Storyboards Opens Toronto Office

0
Animated Storyboards announced that it has launched a new office in Toronto. Maria Hanafy will lead the new studio as managing director, along with four additional staffers - a director, producer, marketing associate and animator/editor. This marks the 10th office for Animated Storyboards, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, São Paulo, Bangkok, Tel Aviv, Düsseldorf and Shanghai. The 4,300-square-foot office will collaborate closely with sister facilities, whose global infrastructure currently includes nearly 300 full-time in-house illustrators, designers, directors, producers and 2D and 3D artists. The facility includes three edit suites, a state-of-the-art audio studio, a conference room and a spacious lobby area for client use.

Time for a Pivot

Beowulf and 3-D