Marc Laliberte Else is a Toronto-based director of photography. A veteran of many music videos and commercials, including the 2000 Top Spot finalist ‘Heist’ for Nearly Naked pantyhose, he recently shot 2gether, an MTV movie that has spawned a TV series. He is represented by Sesler & Company.

There is no need to be a puritan. Don’t be afraid. Be bold. Share knowledge. Use something you’ve never used before and have fun doing it.

Sony 24P HDCAM…large format…35mm…DigiBeta…Super 8…DV…anamorphic…16mm…

The advances in imaging technologies have opened boundless opportunities to be creative, while making the cameraman’s role all the more challenging. As DOPs, it is our role to know enough about the new tools to be able to discern their respective worth for our own specific visions. It’s unlikely, however, for any cinematographer to stay on top of every tool being developed today. To master them all is pretty much impossible.

As the spectrum of choices widens, there comes the need to let go of some of the minutia of execution in favor of someone else’s knowledge. The cinematographer has grown from town doctor to hospital administrator. With this increase of possibilities comes an increase of specialists who monitor, guide and craft that portion of the image being manipulated within their realm of expertise. (The plastic surgeon is the Henry artist who stretches the image to help the lead actress look thinner.)

4K scan rates…Henry… Flame… Inferno…

The role of the cinematographer in relation to the final image has never been more collaborative. Whether it is the liquid light effect of a shutter-less camera or using a motion control rig for 3D animation, the cinematographer works closely with the camera technician or the animator for their specific expertise in making the shot work.

As the DOP you are not expected to be able to texture map the animated type of the title sequence or be able to remove the shutter yourself. Every new toy is sold with instructions, just as every new product has the people behind it to make it work. You must oversee all these layers so they ultimately work cohesively. Perhaps the trickiest part is knowing what is available and what are the best tools for the budget.

glidecams… cablecams… doggycams… Steadicam…

On a spot I shot for Volkswagen’s Discovery series for the Toronto International Film Festival, we knew we needed to finish for projection. After many discussions with the producers, local labs and the post supervisor, the decision was made to up-res to print from our digital transfer.

After a few calls to the colorist and the post house, I relented in my opposition to the idea. The leeway this afforded us in terms of budget and shooting style – knowing I would not be film-printing – far outweighed the fact I had limited knowledge of the process and had not tested it personally.

helium balloons…Musco lights… the LRX lighting system…

Sometimes collaborations are less a sharing of know-how than a leap of faith into unknown territory. While shooting 2gether for MTV a while back, we had our final location pulled from us at the last minute. With only the night before to scout, my gaffer and I were at a loss as to how to pre-light an auditorium with a 60-foot ceiling and no rigging truss.

A call to the rental house and the senior lighting tech led us to use the 8K HMI Leelium lighting balloons, sight unseen. The next day the senior tech personally came to the set with two other rental house technicians. Within hours of learning what I was after, he had lit the entire room with the base illumination I was looking for. Being forced to look outside of one’s normal parameters often leads to the greatest discoveries, and no matter what you find you will always learn.

the Libra head…the Power-Pod 2000…the SCORPIO – 3 Axis Digital Remote Head…

One of the more liberating and widely overlooked recent industry developments is the evolution of the video assist as a tool to free up the camera. Better image quality from the tap and the ability to play back and review quickly has allowed the camera to fly with eagles or swim with dolphins and go almost anywhere in between.

With a decent onboard monitor or video goggles and remote focus motors for your AC, the camera can be flung around or gently positioned like never before. A quick playback to ensure that no untoward images were recorded and the focus held up and you’re off and running with the camera again.

Technicolor three-dye printing process…bleach bypass…ENR…cross-processing…

As a cinematographer, one should get excited about any new developments and search out their roles within one’s vision. New technologies are to be embraced as empowering tools to help bring the craft to another level. There is no right way or wrong way, only one’s interpretation of how to get there.

Wax eloquently about the organic quality of silver halides reacting to light and their subtle interpretations of hues and tones and no one can argue. But these new technologies wouldn’t have grown to their current level if no one could find the art in it. Try finding it for yourself.

No one can force you to shoot video if you don’t want to. But one owes it to oneself to go watch any skateboard video shot on 3-chip DV and feel the enthusiasm of all the budding young DOPs riding along with their camera. Look closely and maybe you will find its worth as well.

Revolution lens system…the T-rex…Frazier-Lens…

All the new innovations are based on a simple premise: let the art of cinematography have more freedom to challenge the conventional. It is the marriage of art and technology that makes the use of a Technocrane artistic or that lifts an LRX into the canvas to make a lightweight camera dance poetically.

the a-minima…the arricam…the Panavision Millennium…the Canon XL1…

The beauty lies in what one does with the freedom of choice. *

-www.seslercompany.com