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At first we planned to use a standard projector, muffled for sound recording purposes,
to project the sequences onto a standard screen in Hitler's space. While the director
was willing to embrace a certain amount of randomness in this process, we thought that
certain film/cast interactions might be especially provocative and meaningful.
David D. Johnson thought it might be possible to
build a special projector which could zoom in within the film image, could slow down
the projection speed from the regular speed of 24 frames per second down to 1 frame
per second, and even to a freeze frame, could run backwards and forwards, and could
do all this quietly. If such a projector could be built, and could do all this while
maintaining synchronization to the filming camera, it would go a long ways towards
solving the challenges I've just enumerated. Although David thought such a machine
was theoretically possible, nothing remotely like it existed in Hollywood. After much
investigation and contemplation, the director decided the advantages were such that
it was worth it for David to build the projector he envisioned.
We started principal photography with this specially built projector and with a
growing inventory of projection sequences for the majority of scenes in the film.
While it all worked more or less as planned, as principal photography proceeded, we
found that projection made extreme demands on the actors and the cinematographer.
The projection influenced the pacing, the overall light level, and the shots'
compositions. In many cases the designed projection sequences worked as planned,
or even beyond expectation. However, some of these sequences were so effective
that they overpowered or distracted from the actors performance in the scene. In
other scenes, the projection was redundant, or took energy away from the scene.
Some images in certain projection sequences represented such flights of visual
fancy that they seemed irrelevant and meaningless to the scenes in question. As
a result, a number of prepared projection sequences were not used. However, editor
Marc Grossman made use of some of these projection sequences in post-production.
David D. Johnson assembled a team from within his film production and effects
company, Pacific Vision, to build this unique film projector. It was christened
"OEPPy," for Optical Effects Process Projector.
It was roughly the size of two large refrigerators, mounted on a rolling scissor lift.
OEPPy handled the bulk of the projection duties during the course of the filming.
In some scenes, Hitler is seen manipulating a working projector. For this purpose a
second projector was built, using modern guts inside a shell designed by art director
Mark Worthington in a style reminiscent of 1930's German design. This functioning prop
projector became known as OEPPy Junior. The big one became known as OEPPy Senior.
OEPPy Junior functioned as a normal projector except that it was very quiet and was
controlled by a remote computer program and/or by remote manual control.
OEPPy Senior functioned as a normal projector as well, but it also had all the special
capabilities David Johnson had indicated it would. OEPPy Senior was used for front-screen
projection when the projector was not seen in the shot. It was also used in the
rear-screen format by projecting it at the screen from behind. OEPPy Junior was only
used whenever the projector was seen in the shot. For those few occasions when more
projectors were needed or both OEPPys were out of service, additional projection was
done by Billy Hansard.
OEPPy Senior was an interesting combination of high and low tech. While it was
controlled by an eight-foot tower of computer technology, it was cooled by water
which cycled through a nearby garbage can that was constantly
replenished with chunks of ice. The color temperature of the film was adjusted by
John Coats, by means of dripping a few drops of colored fluid into the water that
passed in front of the film plane. Although OEPPy broke down from time to time,
especially in the first days of shooting, such lapses were to be expected of
brand-new technology. By the time we completed principal photography, OEPPy worked
nearly flawlessly. John Coats and Steve Gower operated both OEPPies. Steve
assembled all the relevant component manuals into a big OEPPy manual. An excerpt
of Steve's general introduction to the manual follows. It gives a feel for OEPPy's
unique characteristics of both high and low technology.
The team which designed, built and operated the projectors, under the supervision
of Producer/Visual Effects Supervisor David D. Johnson, included the following
individuals: Optical Process Projection Supervisor John Coats, Optical Process
Projector Coordinator Steve Gower, Mechanical Designer Greg Paddock, and Assistant
Operator Fred Manchento. H.A. Arnarson was my Assistant Editor. Elizabeth Hartjens,
based in Washington, D.C., was our Film Researcher. Joe Bono, of Bono Film and Video,
duplicated the films from the National Archives, Library of Congress, and History of
Medicine Museum. Bill Church and Veronica Wirth, of Pacific Vision, created computer
enhancements of some projection sequences. The vast majority of projection sequences
employed optical work by Pat O'Neill, George Lockwood and Lisa Mann of Lookout
Mountain Films.
To review technical information about the OEPPy projector, go to the next page.
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