ARRICAM DVD Project

Jon Fauer ASC, who recently wrote the ARRICAM Book, is spearheading the creation of an ARRICAM DVD. The ARRICAM DVD will be a camera workshop on disc-for cinematographers, assistants, producers, directors, film students, rental houses, and trade shows. It shows the camera on features, commercials and TV series- from prep to production and through post. In an environment that demands faster schedules, in-camera effects and a variety of distribution formats, it shows how the ARRICAM system is used as a new tool that's integral to the new workflow of digital dailies, laptop editing, digital intermediates, DLP projection and on-demand web distribution.

Fauer says the idea for the ARRICAM DVD was partly brainstormed by him and several other ASC members including Roy Wagner, ASC. After contacting some possible sponsors for this project, Fauer was encouraged by the enthusiastic feedback he received from ARRI, Kodak, Avid, and Technicolor, who all generously donated products and services. Additional support came from many other vendors. "Thanks to these amazing contributions, we can do this project the way it should be done," Jon Fauer said. "The whole film will be shot using ARRICAM Studios and Lites, in Super35 (full-frame) 1.78:1, with in-camera slating."

The original script evolved from having Fauer do a "show-and-tell" in front of a white cyc to filming ARRICAMs in action around the world, with cinematographers, assistants and rental house personnel providing on-camera interviews and explanations. The DVD will be "entertaining and educational-an ARRICAM nuts-and-bolts tutorial, a how-to told by working camera crews on location," continues Fauer.

"The camera crews were wonderfully enthusiastic and articulate," according to Fauer, "and when they explain how to use the equipment, it's really much easier to understand than just reading it in the book. Their real-world advice and practical procedures should be invaluable to anyone who watches the DVD."

Denny Clairmont provided some of the initial guidance for the concept. He said "very often, a camera crew may not have time to read the whole ARRICAM manual, but it's painless to view a DVD at home or in a hotel the night before the shoot." Charlie Tamarro at CSC agreed, "most assistants have a laptop-so they can just pop in the DVD on the way to a remote location."

Fauer clearly is enjoying this project, which is a logical extension of his past endeavors. "I've never seen such enthusiasm and pooling of resources for a film about our industry before," he said. "Maybe it's the auspices of the ASC, or the subject matter, or the educational nature of the project. Whatever it is, I hope we can keep the incredible momentum and energy going. "

Production of the ARRICAM DVD will continue throughout the rest of this year. It's expected that proceeds of the ARRICAM DVD will benefit many of the ASC's non-profit activities such as education, museum, publishing and expansion.